Knockout
by Pen to Paper Writer
Summary: Kate knew everything about the jetsetters who made the city their own. But she had a story that would expose a very shady period within a family's dark time. Should she have it printed? Three years earlier Rick had just lost a WBA Heavyweight Championship bout for the title and was now on the road to make it back until he met her... Would they make it or would it be a TKO?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Any recognizable characters are the property of Andrew W. Marlow and ABC television. All others are the product of my own imagination. Any resemblance with any person, living, or dead is purely coincidental.**

 **Three years earlier…**

Being a boxer taught him certain skills in the ring. The first and foremost is to have the ability or the intuition to duck and bob before the punch lands to your head or any other vital body part. It's funny because he never remembered this one simple lesson when his opponent seemed to constantly land hard right hooks to the side of his head time after time. After the last hit, he was slow to respond to his opponent's barrage of hits. He ended up on the mat looking up at the lights shining above…

Xx

 **Present Day...**

She'd been a force to be feared when she was working the society column. She had the city wired and knew about every soiree to full blown wedding on the social calendar. She stepped off the elevator and loved the sounds of the press room. Phones buzzing, people yelling for the copy boy, the smell of fresh ink wafting up from the print room. As amazing as this was for her she was about to be a lamb led to slaughter, only she just didn't know it yet. She had been called into the lifestyle editor's office even before she had time to take the first sip of her coffee. She put the cup down on her desk, grabbed her pad and pen and headed towards her office. As she passed a well-known sports writer (a man that she could not stand) he commented to her as she passed him "You won't be needing those things for this." He pointed to her pad and pen and kept walking away. She looked back at him as if he was in on whatever she was going to be told. Maybe he was. She stepped into her office and Claire was standing next to her desk talking to the owner of a trendy new eatery in midtown. When the call ended she's sure that this favor to her involved a bottle of twelve-year-old Scotch. When she was finished with the phone call he sat down picked up a folder thumbed through it, sighed and then told her that she'd been thinking about the article Kate was writing about the McMillians.

"Kate, I know that you've been working on the society column for the last year but I'm not sure we should run with your article."

Kate just looked at her like she'd lost her mind. She had to tell her why she thought this was a bad idea.

"Claire you know that I busted my ass on this article. The hours alone I've spent on this can't begin to account for my time. I've conducted interviews, talked to people connected to the family and I did so much research I feel like I'm part of this family."

"You know that sometimes we need to pull back on some questionable articles."

If the look she gave her could strike her down she tried even harder to project that look.

"Kate, you can make all the faces and dirty looks at me you can come up with but until further notice, your article is on hold, for now."

She sat there speechless. This was such a bad idea and she wondered if she even thought it through.

It's then when her rage surfaced but she kept her rage in check. She pleaded to have her reread the article and reconsider.

"That's all Kate. But I'll expect you to have the column for the Davis-Jenkins wedding done and on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. So, get to it and make me proud."

"Claire come on, are you sure about this? I mean why don't you reread what I gave you and then make a decision?" Kate wasn't giving up yet.

"Kate, maybe. But I have a lot on my plate today so don't expect me to do it anytime soon."

Xx

He had taken one of the worst beatings he can remember. His opponent kept up a relentless 1-2-5-2 Jab-Cross-Left Uppercut-Cross punches and he couldn't keep his guard up to fight them off. But at least he had made it to the eleventh round before he went down.

"Rick did what I tell you mean anything at all? We had everything on this guy and you just stood there like a scarecrow. If I didn't know any better it seemed to me that you wanted to go down. Did you?"

"Really Pete? Is that what you think?

"Rick, I don't know what to think. You had this guy wrapped up and yet he knocked you out. To me, it seemed that you don't care about winning anymore."

"Pete, I'm tired can we pick this up after the steam room?"

"This isn't over Rick. Go to the steam room and when your done make sure that the doc takes a look at that eye."

"I will." Rick gently touched his swollen eye hoping that it didn't look as bad as it felt. But he knew that it did because he couldn't see out of it. So, it had to be bad.

He needed to get his head on straight. He never saw the hits coming at him when he expected them. He was expecting something totally different from his opponent and that was his mistake. But this fight was just a stepping stone to get him better bouts. He knew this and so did his promoter. When he was offered the fight, his promoter expected him to lose, but he never expected the fight to go eleven rounds if anything six but Rick almost doubled that total. He knew that there would be a visit from his promoter sometime soon he only hoped that he was done with his steam and the doc before that happened. He sat there in the steam room letting the steam work into his body, then when he was done with this the rub down that followed should make him feel a little better.

He wrapped a terrycloth towel around his waist and knotted it tightly. He walked barefoot to the doc's office and sat on the exam table waiting for him to come in. When the door opened he looked up through his good eye and noticed the doc smirk at him.

"Hey Rick, I'd hate to see what the other guy looks like!"

"Well, I am here to tell you that I took most of the beating. He was relentless and my head feels like an eggplant right now."

"That'll pass. Rest will help with that but if anything persists like a bad headache you need to come back and see me. Now let me take a look at that eye."

Rick grunted and groaned when the doc manipulated his right eye. After about two minutes of prodding, he said,

"Rick just keep your eye iced with a cold pack and maybe tomorrow you can start sparing. But before you do see me first."

"Okay, doc."

"Now let the trainer work out those sore muscles. You need it after that knockdown."

"Are you trying to be funny?"

"Yup, I am. Get some rest, Rick." The doc got up patted him on the shoulder and left him sitting on the exam table. He got up and headed to the training room.

Xx

She had wrapped up the exposé on the McMillians. It was good and if she played her cards right it would get her out of writing that stupid wedding article on the Davis-Jenkins wedding. She hoped. This is why she never started to write the article on the wedding. She turned it into her editor Claire directly hoping she wouldn't be mad. She bypassed her managing editor because it gave her a fighting chance to get this printed. Kate knew that Claire and Michael hated each other with a passion. Now with her article exposing the McMillians for what they really were now rewritten and safely in Claire's hands, all she had to do is sit back and wait for the call to tell her that she would be printing it tonight.

Claire knew that her top reporter would be poached out from under her if this article tanked. She quickly read the article she turned it in loving every word of it, forgetting everything she told Kate earlier this morning, it was that good. She sent the article straight to the copy room to run in that evening's edition. The paper printed it and by the next day, she knew that their circulation numbers would increase. No one in the city loved the family she had exposed because they thought they were gods and deserved to be brought down a peg or two. She was surprised the next morning when she turned the corner to head to her office to see the papers owner, publisher, and managing editor standing in it. She slowly approached and could immediately tell that they were not happy at all.

"Good morning Robert." Claire said cheerfully.

"Claire." Robert responded with a little anger in his voice.

"Robert, what's wrong?"

"Claire, the article you sent to print in last night's edition was it evaluated by legal?"

Claire felt her stomach knot up in a terrible way. She loved the article that Kate wrote so much that she forgot to send it to the legal department before it was sent to print.

"No, it wasn't Robert. Why?"

"It seems that the McMillians have decided to sue us for Defamation of character and Libel and anything else that their attorney can come up with."

"I'm sure that the reporter who wrote it did all the fact checking before she turned it in."

"Apparently, they were not as absolute as they could have been. Claire, who wrote the article?"

"Robert, I can't tell…"

"Claire is protecting this reporter worth your job?" Robert cut her off.

"I can fight this under the first amendment."

"Claire you'll lose. The first amendment protects reporters from revealing their source during a criminal trial. Not from being employed.

"It was Kate. Kate Beckett." Claire told him knowing that he was right.

"I'll need to see her now."

"I'll go and get her.

Kate was watching as the big wigs gathered in Claire's office from her desk. She knew her article was gold and now all she had to do is wait for the promised land. Claire walked out of her office and Kate sat up in her chair hoping that this was it.

"Kate, I need you to come with me for a minute."

"Claire, what's going on?"

"Just come with me, Kate."

She followed Claire into the office and a chill ran down her spine when she saw the looks she was getting from the men around the office….

 **A/N: Updates will not be on a set schedule. I've been writing for Castle for the last six years now and unless something jumps out at me to write about between these two great characters, this will be my last "Castle" story.**

 **P2P**


	2. Chapter 2

"Kate my hands are tied! If I wasn't so gung-ho and looked over the article you gave to me, neither of us would be in this predicament we're in now." Claire told her.

"Claire he can't be serious? Can he?" Kate fired back at her old boss.

"Kate he's serious, and he can be a prick. This is his newspaper! He could probably stick you out on the street corner selling papers for fifty cents if he felt like it. I know this is a lot to adjust to but you're going to have to grin and bear it because if you don't you won't have a job. Hell, even I was bumped back down to the copy department. Do you know how degrading that is from where I just was? He's doing it to prove his point and he does have a point. Listen Kate just take your lumps like I am and soon you'll be back with me."

"Yeah but I don't have to like it. You do know what kind of an asshole this guy is. He's just impossible to work with. Even his own reporters don't like him so what kind of chance do I have of doing a job I don't like to do in the first place?"

"Kate, you're just going to have to do the job until you don't do the job anymore. I'm not sure how long you're going to be there, but this is what's considered our punishment. If I didn't jump the gun and sent your article down to legal we wouldn't be in this mess. So just take this assignment and do the best you can."

"All right Clare. Are we still on for girl's night at my place on Saturday night?"

"So far, yes. I will need to set up the obit people to my way of thinking tomorrow and I expect a pushback, but I wouldn't miss getting together over a nice bottle of red. You know those people there, they think that death is their bread and butter."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm really sorry about all of this."

Claire could only nod sadly to her friend. Kate turned and left her office while she packed up yet one more box of her personal stuff. Kate had to move all her personal belongings to the second floor earlier in the day. The second floor held the largest department in the office building at the newspaper she worked at. It was the home of the sports department. The sports department easily doubled the area that she worked in. They had more than 25 reporters working different sports individually. There is only one person, alright maybe two who could cover every sport within the department and be good at it, but she didn't know for sure.

Xx

John Nelson was a firm man and expected results from all his reporters. He could care less if any of them liked him or not, in fact, he knew that almost all of them hated him. Which is why he was surprised when the owner of the paper told him he was getting a new reporter, but he needed to work with her. He was a man of a simple background. If you could see it, touch it, or hear it, it was real. He had no time to give any one reporter the time it took them to help them become better at their jobs.

She made her way over to her new editor's office knocked lightly as not to startle him. She watched him with his head down obviously lost in whatever he was reading on his desk. So, she knocked again harder this time.

"WHAT?!"

"Hi, I'm Kate Beckett and I am your new reporter."

John Nelson looked up from the article he was reading and gave her the once-over. He didn't like what he saw.

"So you're my punishment?"

"What?" Kate asked.

"This is what I get for running my big mouth off. I made a bet with the owner that you'd bail before you would even start. But I guess I lost that bet seeing that you are standing in my doorway. Take a load off and sit down."

Kate did and looked around the room with a little awe. He'd been a reporter earlier in his life and from the looks of it he had reported on football. There were articles that hung from his walls when he covered Joe Montana's pass to John Taylor for the win in Super bowl twenty-three, Earnest Byner's fumble that lost the '87 AFC championship for Browns, and one odd one, Tom Watson wins the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach.

"My father." John told her.

"Your father?"

"Yeah the old man loved golf and I had the chance to interview Mr. Watson."

"Oh, I see."

"So Ms. Beckett, now that your society column days are over for the first couple of days I am putting you with Jerry. He's good but not that good. He can teach you what you need to know about writing a column in the sports department."

"I know absolutely nothing about sports. But I do follow the Yankees and that's only because my father is a fan."

"Ms. Beckett my star reporter Teddy will be moving over to cover the NFL full time. So, I need someone to cover his column. Soon you will be covering the WBA, WBC, WBO and the IBF."

She looked at him like he just lost it. There was no way that she'd be able to write a column in the sports section and make it believable.

"The what now? Are you sure about this? I mean I don't have a clue."

"Kate, you are a reporter for this newspaper. According to your contract, you are not tied to any specific area. If I wanted to stick you covering high school field hockey I could, and you could do nothing about it."

"You will be starting on Teddy's old column beginning next week after Jerry points out the finer topics of writing a sports column. So, button up what you have left on the social front and then I'll give you your next assignment."

"I'm a dufus when it comes to anything but baseball. I have no idea what the WIF is."

"It's IBF, not WIF. But if you are that brain dead about the sport of boxing I'd suggest that tonight and the next couple of nights after that you curl up in your bed and become very good friends with a sports encyclopedia on the topic."

She could just piss him off and do nothing but then he'd have a reason to fire her. So, she would do the next best thing. She would be a total slacker and write columns that made no sense at all which would not be far from the truth.

"Next week I expect you to be bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to hit the ground running!"

"Bright eyed maybe, but there's no tail coming out of the back of my ass!"

All John did was leer at her as she turned and left.

She would beat him at his own game, she just had to figure out how.

Xx

When Rick woke up the next morning the swelling in his eye had gone down considerably almost to where he could manipulate his eyelid open and closed. He was still waiting for his promoter to stop by yesterday after the trainer was done working over his body and kneading out all the kinks from last night's bout, but he never showed up. He got up, started the shower and got cleaned up. Once dressed he headed down to the gym to see the doc and maybe get some sparring in.

"It's looking a little better today, how does it feel?"

"It's still tender but the good news is that I can see out of both eyes this morning."

"Okay so here's what I'm suggesting light sparring and the second you feel nauseous or fatigued you will stop everything and see me. That's an order.

Rick nodded to the doc and as he started to get up off the exam table, but the doc stopped him from doing so with a hand on his shoulder.

"On second thought Rick I would like you to spar with Juan. He's just starting out in the featherweight division and his punches won't hurt that much. Let him go easy on you."

"Let him go easy on me? Don't you think it should be the other way around? I should be the one going easy on him." Rick said offendedly.

"After last night's beatdown, I'm not thinking that you have your head screwed on straight. Just go out there and have some fun, don't turn this will into a slaughter fest. You need to get into shape and this will give us some direction to go in."

"Okay. But the second he tries something else, all bets are off."

"Okay."

Rick nodded to his trainer Harry and climbed into the ring through the bottom ropes and eyed up Juan. He was short, but he'd never underestimate an opponent. He was built but he'd seen this many times before. Men who trained in any gym always put their best asset forward. He went to the neutral corner and just observed. If he was good at one thing it was this. He'd take into consideration what his opponent knew and what he didn't. Rick was at one time a heavyweight champion and he knew that Juan was just starting out in the featherweight division.

Many beginners try to pack as much power into every punch. He hoped that Juan would save his power and body weight for his right hand. Then he would strike. When he would jab, he would counter and keep it light and accurate. He hoped that Juan would never see it coming. Rick donned his protective headgear and put in his mouth guard. He squared up opposite Juan touched gloves and then and threw a jab to get things moving. Juan countered with a jab of his own and Rick avoided it. When Rick stabbed a combination of a jab and a right cross, Juan was a little stunned and he almost fell backward. Rick had thrown a combination that he wasn't expecting. Try as he might Juan tried to connect with two more jabs and a cross. Rick, however, read the movement from start to finish.

If you've got an overly aggressive opponent that's invading your space, you usually don't have time to start with a jab. Rick knew that he was green and decided to shake things up a little. He threw a right hand at him followed by a left hook and another big right hand. Since he was already wide open and not protecting himself, why he thought would he waste his time with a jab? He just started with the hard punches right away. The 2-3-2 is very good at close range, so he dug his feet in and made it hurt. Juan reeled back but came back at Rick with two right uppercuts and a left hook.

"Whoa there Hefe! You kinda got something goin on there." Juan said as he danced around Rick.

"Yeah, so what about it?"

"I just think that you should have used that combo last night instead of ending up face down on the mat."

The last thing Juan saw was Rick's right glove hitting him square in the face…

Xx

Kate gave some thought to talking to her father about her current predicament. But she realized all too soon that while he might be hooked on baseball, he would know nothing about boxing. So, she went to the nearest Barnes & Noble and picked up the basics on boxing. The number of books there was staggering they had two whole aisles dedicated just to the art of the sport. She found a book by Floyd Patterson that taught basic skills to an unsuspecting person just starting out. Then she also picked up another book by Bob Mee and Harry Mullen. Of the two books she bought she thought this one would be the most informative. It was the ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing. Getting ready to leave she eyed another book called The Great Book of boxing written by the same author so she picked that up too. She doesn't know why she decided to get these books because earlier in her meeting with John she had concluded that writing anything other than trash would be the norm. But as she made her purchases and walked out of the store to head back home she took out the Great Book of boxing and started the thumb through it. This while walking down in New York City sidewalk was not the best of ideas many times during her walk she had to avoid stationery items like bus stops in lamp posts. So, deciding that her health was more important than reading a book walking on the sidewalk she put it back in the bag. Arriving at home she brewed a cup of tea and sat down on her couch. She started to read over the encyclopedia of boxing first. There was a vast amount of information within the covers and it would take time to situate how she would prioritize what she was reading. There were sections that held statistics on men who have had the power and grace of each of their respective weight classes. She reads the book until her tea is finished and she starts to nod off.

She leaves the book on the end table and gets ready for bed. Quickly cruising through her nightly routine, in no time she is under her comforter falling into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

With the number of things he needed to get done today, he was always behind schedule. By the time he got to the gym, he'd been over an hour late. He talked with Rick's doc and knew that his eye was a lot better. So much so that he would let him spar with the warning that Rick would stop if he felt worse. He needed to get him back into a resemblance to his past form and this was just the first step of many. At his best, he was a boxer to be feared. He was faster than lightning and had the power to back it up. He walked from the doc's treatment room and looked to the ring. There he saw Juan sitting there dazed on the mat, and no sign of Rick anywhere.

"Harry, what the hell happened here? And where's Rick?"

Harry turned and looked at Pete and his face told him everything he needed to know.

"How bad Harry?"

"Juan never knows when to shut up. But I'm here to tell you that Rick did lay him out with one punch though."

Pete looked on in shame at Juan. He was young and sometimes his brain didn't think before he engaged his mouth. He knew of one place where Rick would go and he headed there. Turning to head down to the weight room he almost literally ran into Missy.

"I'm so sorry Peter. Listen I need to talk to you about Rick's promoter if you ask me he's very rude."

"Missy that's just how he is, you know him. He wants the best for his fighters and he wants to make money so of course, he's going to be rude."

"He told me that he wanted to see Rick sometime today and I didn't see him out in the gym."

"That's because Juan opened up his big mouth and you know what happens when Rick gets upset. He heads to the weight room and starts beating the crap out of that defenseless punching bag. So, give me about two hours and then I'll bring him back to you after he works out, changes, and gets cleaned up."

"Okay, Peter." Missy says and turned back to her office.

Missy hesitates and then starts to finish her walk back to her office hoping she doesn't have to deal with Mr. Wallace again.

Xx

When he entered the weight room all he could hear were Rick's taped hands hitting the punching bag with fury. He hesitated for a second before he made his presence known. He watched him as he made calculated strikes at the bag.

"Rick, ease up on your right arm. Lead more with your left." Pete suggested.

So he did and the result was a lot more power when he hit the bag.

"It feels good, Pete."

"Then that will be our focus for a while."

Pete didn't want to assume anything when it came to Rick and what he used to be. He was a heavyweight champ and he was one of the best. He worked for everything he got.

"So, Rick, want to talk about what happened upstairs with Juan?"

"Not really."

"Rick, you need to get all this anger out of your system. Holding on to anger will not do your mind any good. So, tell me what happened upstairs?"

"Juan needs to keep his big mouth shut. Sometimes I only think it does it to piss people off but if he's going to push people's buttons... well you saw what happened upstairs when he did."

"Rick you've got to understand that he's a kid and kids do stupid things. But since there's an issue between the two of you I'm going to put you with a different partner to spar with. Now on to other things. The doc says your eye is better which is good and from what Missy tells me your promoter is going to try to set up another fight for this Friday night or maybe Saturday. I'm not too sure what he can put together in five days. He has faith in you Rick and so do I so let's get back upstairs and get you into better shape. Oh, and he wants to meet with you sometime today."

Rick looked down his body and back up facing the full-length mirror not happy with what he saw and agreed with him. He threw one last punch at the weight bag and it moved an easy three feet away from him.

Xx

Sy Wallace had always intended to walk in his father's footsteps. Only he was never the nine-to-five office type. He could not stand being cooped up in a square box sitting in the chair all day making corporate decisions. So, he decided that promoting men who could give him what he needed was a better option. He was no Richard Schaefer and he scoffed at people who associated him with the man. He was only trying to make a living and if a star came out of what he was doing then so be it. It was Rick Castle's record that made him even think about taking him back on the road to reclaim his title. The man was exceptional in that department. His record of 32-1-1 was one of the best. What was more amazing was the fact that all his wins resulted in KO's. This guy of his was going to be a goldmine when he was back into fighting form, he just knew it. He knew that after Saturday night's fight Rick would be a little discouraged about losing the fight but he thought it was just the opposite. What he saw in the ring Saturday night was nothing of a true champion, sure he was beat in the end but, he had made it eleven rounds and Rick exceeded his expectations in so many ways. His footwork was quick his fists were connecting in all the right places but it was just that one slip up where he let his guard down for the briefest of seconds that his opponent had taken advantage of the opening. No, Rick was going to be that star. What he needed to do now was to set up a meeting with him concerning his next bout. He was moving up to a higher-class of fighter and he hoped that Rick could handle him.

He looks around his office and he sees the one thing that made all of his fighters famous. It was newsprint and that was the way he would start with Rick. Although this last fight was a loss in his mind it's still good publicity. He has friends in many newspapers but one name in particular sticks in his head, John Nelson. Nelson is a person who doesn't take any shit from anybody and at first, it's going to be tough to win him over but he thinks it will be worth it in the long run. And maybe two bottles of fine scotch might seal the deal. Yes, this would be very beneficial for him and he knows John will come through for him by providing a top-notch reporter. He gathers up his metro bag, slings it over his shoulder and leaves for the gym. He knows that this is where Rick will be and then they can sit down and have a talk concerning his future.

Xx

"Rick this is Glen. He's your new sparring partner for the next couple of days. Now let's get into the ring and see where you need help. Here Rick here's your mouth guard and headgear." Peter says as he hands him both items.

Rick and Glen climb into the ring, touch gloves, and Glen comes on hard. Rick barely has time to adjust to his method and style. It's not long before he and Glen become comfortable with each other and get down to actual sparring.

His power is something that a fighter in his class never deals with. He can take the hits and land a couple of his own but Glen would really hate to get into a street fight with Rick. He would lose, big. He can tell that Rick is nowhere near tapping his internal anger and that's a good thing because he likes his head attached to his body.

"Rick keep your guard up and lead with the left!" Peter yells.

Their sparring session lasts about an hour before there is a commotion at the gym's entrance. Everything comes to a halt when he walks through the doors. The younger fighters drop what they're doing and muster close enough to stop his forward movement. Rick and Glen just watch from the ring as he accepts their greetings and tried to move away.

"Gentlemen, I need to take care of some business, do you think that I can be allowed to do that? I promise when I am done we will talk." Sy tried to move through the group of fighters to get to Rick.

When he finally gets free of them he walks up to where Rick is watching him with a small smirk on his face.

"It never ends Sy, does it?" Rick asked.

"No your right it never does. But I still remember you when you were like that."

"Who me… I never!" Rick said with a chuckle.

Sy smiles and reaches over the top rope to shake Rick's hand.

"Rick when you finish up here I'd like to sit down with you and talk about the direction we want to move forward in. Pete, are you going to be keeping him much longer?"

"We were just about to finish up before you arrived. Let him hit the showers and then he's all yours Sy."

"Thanks, Pete."

Rick heads to the shower thinking about what he want's from this meeting.


	4. Chapter 4

The water cascades down his body. It helps alleviate most of his sore and tired muscles after his sparring and workout so he just relishes the comfort for a little while longer. He places the palms of his hands against the shower wall and lets the hot water work its way down his back.

While the water does its job, he tries to get his head straight for the upcoming meeting with his promoter. He knows that there will be a lot of give and take. He will only give so much before he has to consider the meeting a loss. There has always been an understanding between him and Sy. He would always try to promote him as a fighter that would benefit each of them equally. It's unheard of now because the new guys coming up in any class have a hefty chunk of change taken out even before they fight. That's because promoters want to be paid.

Knowing that the water has done its job, to some extent, he shuts down the flow of water and runs his hand down his face to remove the excess water from it. Taking a towel from the towel boy he dries off his body and wraps the towel around his waist for the short walk to the locker room to change. He slips on his boxer briefs, a tank tee, his jeans and his dress shirt and shoes. Combing his hair, he checks his look in the mirror that hangs in his locker. Happy with the result that stares back at him he turns and heads out to the gym to go see Pete.

Xx

"Sy, you need to understand something. While he might be ready to fight, he still needs to work on his timing and footwork. Remember his first fight was only two days ago after being out of the game for more than three years. He's going to need some work to get back to where he was at that time. It's going to take work and effort on his part as well as yours."

"Pete, he needs to become confident again. What I have planned for this Saturday night will give him the necessary push in the right direction so he'll listen to you and Harry.'

Pete really didn't want to lead Rick on but this was the way things worked around here. Promoters would pump up their fighters, and when they performed well then everything was good. But when they lost after being built up, it was not pretty.

"Sy, he's your fighter but please consider the fact that he is now older, he needs a lot of work to get back to where he once was, and he is a lot wiser to what happens around here."

"Sure Pete. So, do you think he'll be ready for Saturday night in time?" Sy asked.

"It'll be tough but we'll do what we can." Pete told him this because he never heard a word he said about what Rick needed to be better.

"Just work with him and then we will see what Saturday brings."

"Okay."

"What will Saturday bring?" Rick asked as he walked up to Sy and Pete overhearing their conversation.

"Just seeing where you'll be by Friday Rick." Sy said.

"Why, what's happening on Friday?" Rick asked.

"Rick let's have a seat over there away from all this noise. Then I'll tell you what I have lined up."

The two men walked over to the training room where was quieter. Rick sat down across from Sy and waited for him to start.

"Rick what I want to do is try and give you bouts that will show you as a fighter to be feared in the ring. In order to do that and if you're ready I have a possible match on Saturday night that I think would be just the ticket."

"Against who?"

"Seamus O'Shea"

"Sy, are you crazy? That guy is built like a brick shit house! He'll pummel me in the first round! No, there has to be someone else who doesn't have sledgehammers for forearms." Rick said a little scared.

"Rick it'll be fine. You forget that I've seen you in the ring on many occasions. You can outlast him. Be smart about it and make sure to stay clear of his right hook, you wouldn't survive if he connects."

"That's your advice? Dodge him until I can get a shot in here and there? He's a steamroller! I don't stand a chance against him and you know that."

"Rick stop stressing. This will just be a fight that will tell us what you need to work on what needs to be done to get you back on top again. Trust me it's going to be fine."

"That's easy for you to say you won't be in the ring with that gargantuan."

Sy just gave him a look that said that there would be no fighting him on this so, defeatedly, he went with it.

Xx

If he knew one thing it was that he could spot raw talent when it was in front of him. She had this but she needed to be refined. As he read over her article of last night's Yankee game she lacked the descriptors used to make the reader want to read the article. What it was, was just basically a box score of the game for her version of the article. There was no life to it. He would have a talk with Jerry and see what they could do to get her a little bit more involved in the sport of baseball before he moved her over to cover the boxing column. That's where he wanted her ultimately just to be able to cover that column and be good at it. She had the right insights and drive she just need to channel it towards her writing. When Teddy wrote the column, he had received many comments about how his Ace reporter was good at his job. He just hopes that Kate has the same chops for doing the same thing.

"Beckett! In my office pronto! John screamed out.

"What is this John?"

"That's Mr. Nelson to you, missy."

"Yes, Mr. Nelson what can I do for you?

"That's better, you're getting there. I wanted to talk to you about this article you think you wrote about last night's Yankee game. Kate listen, what I'm reading here is basically a box score with ands, ifs, or buts, added in as fillers to take up space. There's no meaning to what you wrote it just basically states the score, the errors, and the statistics on the players in the game."

"Mr. Nelson, I told you that I have never written about any sport. I don't have the know how to get what I watched across into words. Jerry just gave me what amounted to a crash course on baseball, but I knew most of it before he told me. When I go to a game with my dad, we keep the scorecard filled out until the last inning. We talk about the players like Judge, Sánchez, and Bird and what they'll do during the game."

"Kate that's it! That's what I'm talking about. What you just said right there, use that passion to write your column. Think of it like this, instead of trying too hard to write about the game you saw, use your time with your dad to write about it. What I mean is outline it like you were sitting there with your dad watching the game and you were talking about it the way you just told me ten seconds ago. I guarantee you that it will be a better column and it will make you a better writer of the sport."

Kate looked at him thinking that he had lost all his marbles. But as she noticed the look in his eyes she could tell that what he said was truthful. So, she'd try writing the next column like that. Who knows maybe it might be better.

"Now the Red Sox are in town tonight. I'll give you two tickets for tonight's game. Call your dad to see if he can make it to the stadium. When you and your dad watch the game take notes as the game progresses. Then when you get home, write up what you talked about during the game. Then have it on my desk for the morning edition."

John pulled open his top desk drawer and lifted an envelope from it. He handed her the envelope and gave her a look that probably meant that this was her last shot at getting it right. When she reached for the envelope she already had her phone out with her thumb hovering over the contact for her dad. Taking the tickets, she hit send and raised the phone to her ear. After two rings the call connected.

"Hi, Katie! This is a surprise."

"Hi, dad."

"What's up, honey?"

"Dad, are you free tonight?"

"Free as in?"

"I wanted to know if you would like to go to tonight's Yankee game against Boston?"

"Would I? Of course, I would. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No, dad. I'll meet you at gate two by the Yankee lobby. Say around six fifteen?"

"Sure Katie. I'll even buy the hot dogs."

"Thanks, dad. I'll see you in three hours."

"Okay. Oh, and Katie don't forget to wear your jersey and hat!"

"Okay, dad I will. Bye."

"Bye honey."

Xx

Kate paced back and forth on the sidewalk near gate two as the number four train screeched to a stop above her. She looked up but it was impossible to see him through the crowd even if he had made this train. She watches with rapt attention as the newest batch of passenger's spill down the stairs towards the gate. Then she sees him between an older couple and a pair of teenaged girls. She loves the way he smiles when he sees her waiting for him. Before she knows it he's wrapped around her hugging her tightly. When they untangle he asks,

"Two games in one week Katie? What's going on?"

"Dad, I was given these tickets by my boss. He said that my column on yesterdays game was sorely lacking "life" in the column I wrote about."

"Well, we'll need to do it better this time won't we?"

"Yeah, I guess we will."

"So where are we sitting and please don't tell me that we're in the bleachers."

"You know, I haven't even looked at the seats on the tickets."

With that Jim looks on as his daughter pulls out the envelope with the tickets from her purse. He sees the shock on her face when she removes them and reads their seat assignment.

"Katie? What's wrong? We do have seats for tonight's game, don't we?

"We do. But they're in the Legends section, row two, seats eight and nine."

"WOW! That's right behind the dugout near first base! This is gonna be great!"

Kate just looked at the glimmer in her father's eyes. They had never sat this close to the field…ever.

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's get inside!"

Kate was standing next to him and he was acting like an eight-year-old who had way too much sugar. She slipped her arm within his and they were off to their seats.

Kate had listened to John and talked with her dad about how to write her column with more enthusiasm. He gave her points to write about and when the game was over she felt that she had a better handle on writing for baseball. Her boss was right. Talking with her dad was the key for writing a better column because she talked with him the entire game. After that writing came easy…


	5. Chapter 5

The knock at her door startles her awake. She can't imagine who's at her door at seven forty-two at night. Rising up from the couch in her living room, sleepily, she shuffles her way to the front door. It takes a few seconds to unlock the deadbolt and flip the lock open to open the door. When she does she sees Claire standing there holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a bag of Chinese takeout in the other.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to wake up." Claire said as she noticed Kates disheveled look and hair going in every direction.

"Shut up!" I have a hard job."

"I know. So, how's it going there in the sports department? Meet any great guys?"

"Bite your tongue. All that department has in it are egotistical, self-centered jack asses. There's no one I would even consider dating there."

Claire giggled and said, "Give it time."

Kate just shot her a look that would do more than kill. Claire walked past her and her scowling look and over to the coffee table in front of the couch and set the wine and bag of takeout down.

"So, what are you here? It's a Saturday night."

"Kate, we're having a girl's night, remember?"

"Oh shit! I totally forgot. Sorry."

"Yeah well, I'm glad that I picked up something for us to eat. If I had to rely on you I'd starve to death. Don't tell me that Nelson has your head spinning around so badly that you forgot."

"Well, you could stand to lose a few pounds and yes he does."

"Why Katherine Beckett, I never."

"Never what Claire?"

"Never mind just come over here and sit down with me so we can eat."

"So?" Claire restated.

"So what?" Kate knew exactly what she wanted to know but she was going to tease her for a little bit before she told her.

"How is it working in the sports department?"

"Claire it's like a dream come true! Everyone is so friendly and nice to me."

Claire looked at her friend with shock written all over her face. This can't be the truth because she'd heard way too many stories about the jerks that work there all of them bad. She studied her friend and when the hint of a grin appeared she knew she was lying to her.

"You know what they say don't you Kate?"

"No. Tell me, what do they say?"

"You can't bullshit a bullshitter."

"Well, you're right about that."

"Seriously tell me about it."

"It sucks! John Nelson can only be addressed as "Mr. Nelson" and he won't even let me enter his office until I do. I had to write a column on a Yankee game for my first time out."

"I bet that went well."

"It didn't. he said I was basically writing the box score for a column."

"What happened next? Tell me that you got out of it." Claire asked.

"Nope. He put me right back on it the next night. He gave me two tickets for the game so I asked my dad to go with me. My next column was stellar and it was all with my dad's help. Mr. Nelson saw a very good improvement from my first column."

"What's next?"

"These were just to get my feet wet in writing for a sports column. He's moving me over to Teddy's old column. And Teddy is now covering the NFL full time."

"Oh, and what did Teddy write about?"

"Boxing."

Claire burst out laughing. Never in her life would she ever think that Kate Beckett, society writer, would be covering the sport of boxing.

"Hey don't laugh! This is serious stuff. These guys have to know a lot of tactics in order to make it out of the first round without getting beat to a pulp."

"And you know this how?"

"I've been doing a lot of reading about the sport. You wouldn't believe what these guys have to remember. When to jab, when to bob and duck, the list goes on and on."

"It seems to me that you are really into this. Have I lost my star reporter to the sports department?"

"Not on your life. I plan on being back on the society pages before you can say Extra, Extra."

"About that, Kate," Claire said sadly.

"Kate, you know how much I want you back with me, but my hands are tied. Maybe you might like writing for the column."

"Claire, it's like nothing like I've ever done before. Do you know what it will feel like when readers will walk up to you on the sidewalk and chastise you for the rotten job you did writing? No! Don't tell me anything other than that you are going to get me back there with you. Claire, I can't survive this. I need to be writing about what happens in this city."

"I know you do. But it seems that Robert has made a deal with McMillian's to stop the lawsuit they filed against the paper."

"Okay, that's great! Now I can come back."

"Quite the opposite I'm afraid. They will drop the lawsuit if you stay where you are…indefinitely."

"WHAT? Stuck in the sports department? Come on Claire! This is not in any way fair. They are guilty as sin. They've done hurtful things to their employees. Not to mention the way they screw over all the people that they do business with."

"Kate, we can't prove any of this. What you wrote about them is all circumstantial. But if you had recordings or an eyewitness that would be a different story." Claire raised an eyebrow looking at Kate hopefully.

Kate's face just dropped and Claire knew that she had nothing to back up her accusations with.

"All I have is what people told me in confidence, so no I have nothing." Kate said with a defeated voice.

"Just as well. But look at the bright side you still have a job!"

Claire was too slow to move out of the way of the pillow that came flying at her and hit her in the head, hard.

Xx

"Move your feet, Rick! Come on this is basic stuff." Harry yelled out into the ring.

"I am moving my feet, it's just that he's moving his faster." He replied.

"Okay then move your feet like you're not stuck in quicksand then!"

Rick shrugged off his advice, that was until Glen had landed a right hook and knocked him on his ass.

"Glen give us a minute will ya?" Harry asked Glen.

Glen walked over to the opposite corner and watched as Rick got up off the mat. He really didn't want to throw that punch but Rick needed to know that punches came from every angle. If he was not prepared for him how would he do against Seamus?

"Rick you need to move out there. There is no second guessing this. You're too slow and your guard is always favoring the right side of your body. If you bring that to the ring on Saturday night you will get more than a swollen eye from Seamus. He will rip you apart and love doing it. Now get back in there and do what I told you to do. Move those feet and try working your left hook into Glen."

Who Glen saw was no one he'd expected when they resumed sparring. Rick was a man on fire. His jabs and combination punches were disastrous. Glen almost went down at the first combo but quickly countered with punches of his own barely staying on his feet. After about an hour, Harry decided that he'd seen enough.

"Alright, boys! That's enough for today." Harry yelled out to them.

Glen came to where Rick was standing in the center of the ring and said,

"Rick that was better, way better. I had trouble keeping up with what you were throwing at me. Now keep up that good work on Saturday night and I think that you'll do great."

"Rick, can I talk to you for a second?" Harry asked as Glen slipped between the ropes and into the locker room for a soak and shower.

"Yeah Harry. What do you want?" He asked as he walked to the corner of the ring.

"Rick, what I observed out there after I told you what to do was something that I've never seen before from any fighter. You were precise and calculated. But, you'll need to be back here first thing tomorrow morning to start working more on your cardio. To me, it looked like you were winded."

"I'll have to admit that I was. Glen is quick and I had a little trouble keeping up with him. But then something clicked and I was able to get into the zone. Once I was there in my zone, I was able to concentrate more on what I was doing."

"Okay, Rick. Cool down, take a soak in the whirlpool and hit the showers. Be back here around seven tomorrow morning and we'll go over what you need to do to beat Seamus."

"Okay, Harry. See you tomorrow."

Rick left the ring and headed to the locker room wondering what kind of chances he had of beating Seamus.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything they talked about two days before now had become useless. Seamus was pounding Rick round after round. The only bright side is that Rick had lasted eleven rounds. He was close in points and he knew it. In the eight round, Rick took that round 10 to 8. But Seamus came back harder than he had in the previous rounds but he was a little sluggish by the time round ten had ended. They split that round. Round eleven went to Seamus with a score of 10 to 9. Now the twelfth and deciding round was next. Rick was tired but he had an edge. Since he made it this far three more minutes should be easy enough to get through. This was his mindset going into the twelfth round.

Seamus looked across the ring towards Rick and hoped he had the energy to get through this round. Rick was a hard hitter, something he forgot about when they last met. Rick never did forget and he used it against him.

Seamus opened up with a strike to his jaw, but Rick countered his punch easily. The next thing Seamus remembered was three punches in quick succession with him staggering rearward. Seamus recovered and attempted to throw jabs at Rick's head but only two connected that did and any damage and it was light at that but he was stunned.

Rick shook off the punches Seamus landed and advanced on him and moved around so that he would follow. He did what Rick thought he would. He came along with him and now all he needed to do was to shift his weight and land a right hook into his jaw and that would give him the win if he went down.

Seamus never anticipated Rick's punches because he was doing what many beginners do for just a split second; he was watching where Rick's feet went and he was thinking that he could avoid the next barrage of punches he would throw by watching his footwork. It was then when Rick landed his right hook into the side of Seamus' jaw. He followed that up with an uppercut and all he could see was the underside of his opponent's jaw falling backward away from him and heading for the mat. The referee went down to his knees and was slapping the mat as he counted off each number to ten. Seamus never opened his eyes.

The next event he can remember was the referee grabbing his arm and hoisting it skyward proclaiming he was the victor.

 _"After two minutes, twenty-nine seconds in the twelfth round and by knock out your winner is Rick "The Kid" Castle."_ The announcer bellowed out over the sound system.

Rick couldn't believe that he won. It was a really good feeling. He scanned the crowd and noticed Sy looking right back at him wearing a very wide smile and he was giving him a thumbs up. Pete was in his corner with the same look.

Xx

She dreaded what was to happen next. But even before she had got to her desk she was summoned to her boss's office. She gets her pad and heads towards his office wondering what the hell she could have done that wasn't to his liking.

She knocks and waits. It's always a game he plays she swears it is. He makes her wait there like a statue until he's ready.

"Yes, Beckett."

"You called me here John. What did you need?"

"What's my name, Beckett?"

"Please forgive me oh leader of men!" Kate responded sarcastically.

"Keep it up, Beckett. You really don't want to move up do you?"

"Seriously? You think that I like being here?" She looked at him like he lost a marble or two.

"Yeah, I do Beckett because if you screw up again in this department you're out on your ass collecting unemployment."

"Wait, where did you hear that from?"

"The big boss. He said that if you can't keep your nose clean in the sports department, it will violate the agreement he has with the McMillians. Kate, he's just looking for a reason to shitcan your ass so don't give him one."

"I don't want to give him a reason but he's free to do whatever he pleases. He's made that fact well known."

"Listen to me Kate, the column you turned in to me when you and your father went to the Yankee game the other night was pretty damn good. I'm not saying it was perfect but it was probably some of your best work from you that I've read yet. Now if you keep this up you won't give him a reason to fire your ass. Just try to get into the job because honestly, that's all you have left. You're never going back to the society column. This is your new home like it or not."

"Mr. Nelson, I just don't fit in with the guys you have working out there. They know more than I do."

"Listen, Kate, you've got to keep up with these guys study the sport, do a lot of research, and do whatever else you need to do in order to put these guys to shame. I know you have it in you to write some of the best columns I will ever read but you need to start somewhere. I read your stuff in the society section and while it's mostly puff pieces, here in the sports department well this is writing that you can sink your teeth into. People read the sports our section, hell half of New York City reads it!"

"Okay, so what happens tonight? Kansas City are playing the Yankees, am I going to that game tonight to write about them again?"

"Actually no Kate you're not going to be covering that game. I'm moving you over to Teddy's old spot starting today. I know you've been through some of the books on boxing but you're going to have to go down to Pete's gym and just hang out there to get familiar with what these guys do. I know I said I put you on his column in a week, but I'm rethinking that. With a little bit of encouragement, I think you would be one hell of a boxing writer. So, head on over there I'll give you the address and just watch what goes on. You might learn something new." He says to her as he hands her an address written on the back of one of his business cards.

John felt for her he really did but he'd never show her that. Sure she got a bum rap but he was going to do everything in his power to make her a damn good reporter in his department.

Xx

The next morning he woke with muscles that ached like never before. But because he won last night it was a good ache and he could deal with the pain. By the time Seamus got off the mat after the fight, Rick was back in the locker room talking to Sy and Pete. He never heard anything they were saying to him because he was so happy. He knew that the next day, meaning this morning was going to be tough. All he remembers them telling him is to be at the gym by 9 a.m. and then they could get to work. He still has no idea what that work could possibly be but he knows that he's ready for the next bout. A solid win will do that to you. You'll get all caught up in the joy of winning that you'll think that you can beat anyone. But he knows of these false feelings of confidence and what happens if you listen to them. He gets out of bed, checks the time and sees that it's only 6:44 am. He has time to get a quick shower, get some food into his stomach and head to the gym a little earlier than his agreed upon 9 am start time.

Xx

She looks of the address that John gave her and then looks up at the sign that's hanging over the sidewalk that says "Pete's Gym." The place is a dive there's no way in hell anybody would want to work out in something like this place. It's falling apart. The brick façade needs paint, the doors that lead into the gym look like they're from the 40's. Anybody with a bobby pin could probably pick the lock and break in. She just hopes this is all worth it. Before she realizes it, she's moving out of the way of a big Spanish dude and his friend who almost knocked her over because he was talking to his friend and never saw her standing at the entrance trying to enter. He gets annoyed when he has to move around her in order for him not to knock her over. She thinks that he thinks she is a gnat that could be easily swatted away because of the vast size difference. He just gives her a look, exits the building and walks down the sidewalk with his friend still talking like to each other like nothing ever happened.

She pulls open the door and starts walking into the hallway where she can hear grunting, yelling, and punches being thrown and connecting….


	7. Chapter 7

Risking life and limb she cautiously entered the gym. The noises she heard outside the door only get louder the closer she gets to the interior of the gym. The dark hallway she walks through leads to a dimly lit gym. Looking to her right she sees three long bags hanging down from the rafters that guys are beating the crap out of. If anything, she feels sorry for the people holding the bag in place while these boxers punch the bag relentlessly and with speed.

Then at her left, she sees many men jumping rope. It reminds her of her school days with her friends when they did it during recess. But these guys are 10 times faster and more coordinated than she ever was and they're doing moves she couldn't have ever done when she was younger. She looks to in front of her and sees a ring that resembles one that could be used in the sport for a title fight. But it's got more padding around it than the ones that she's used to seeing. She sees and hears the punches being thrown and connecting by the tall skinny boxer wearing gold shorts. Only then she looks at the man throwing the punches in purple shorts and notices that the color of his shorts brings out the blue in his eyes. Seriously she comes here to see if the shorts match the eyes. She can't believe herself. She watches as they dance around the ring and it almost looks like they're in a ballet of sorts. The amount of dancing they're doing around each other would make anyone exhausted. But they keep going at it in circles around and round. Turning to the left she stops right before the ring and the tall skinny boxer looks down at her. That automatically has the other boxer with the blue eyes doing the same thing. But after the tall skinny boxer has seen enough he turns back to his opponent and takes advantage of his distraction and lands of punch right to the side of his head catching him off guard and knocking him off his feet and onto the mat flat onto his back.

When she saw this she cringed internally. It was a hard hit and he went down just as hard maybe harder.

"Rick, what the hell are you doing?" Pete shouted.

But Rick never heard Pete yelling at him asking him what he was doing because he was unconscious. Glen just stood over him with his hands at his sides not knowing what to do now.

"Glen just sit down in your corner will you." Glen does he's told and Pete walks over to Rick and kneels down with an ammonia capsule. He squeezes it between his fingers breaking the plastic covering and waves it under Rick's nose and in seconds he's sitting bolt upright. Pete helps Rick up off the mat and over to his corner to sit down.

"Rick what were you thinking? You just let Glen smack you upside the head!"

"I'm sorry Pete. But did you see the woman who just walked in here?" Pete just shook his head. "Come on how could you not see her she's beautiful."

"I wasn't shaking my head to tell you that I didn't see her. I was shaking my head at you for falling for something like that! I can't believe that all it takes for you to be knocked out is to see a beautiful broad and you're lying on the mat? Because if that's the case I can make it happen every time and win myself a bundle just by parading a blonde bombshell around the ring in front of you."

"Pete, it's not like that. She just walked in here and I couldn't keep my eyes off of her she's beautiful and then, of course, Glen has to take advantage of that and lands a cheap shot to the side of my head."

"Oh, I see. And it had nothing to do with you not paying attention to your opponent, right Rick?" Pete asks.

Rick just looked away in shame knowing that he was right. If he wasn't distracted this would have never happened.

Kate who had heard the entire conversation between the two men on the mat started to blush at the blue-eyed boxers' comments about her.

"Excuse me Miss but can I ask what you're doing here? I am very busy running a gym." Pete asked her from the ropes.

"My boss sent me down here from The Banner. He told me to take a look around and get a feel for the place."

"We usually don't allow women in here. You can see what happens when we do." Pete told her as he pointed to Rick still sitting in his corner still trying to get his head clear.

"Yeah sorry about that. But my boss is Mr. John Nelson and I'm his new boxing reporter." Kate said with all seriousness.

Pete just started to laugh. And then it turned into a full on belly laugh. Before he knew it, Rick had a grin on his face as well and started to chuckle when Pete fell to the floor and rolled around on the mat laughing so hard. He took in the stranger and noticed that she was very unsure about where she was to be in the gym. She had never written a boxing column in her life he knew that much. Pete who had finally stopped laughing asked Kate what it was she wanted to write about. Rick who had been sitting in his corner watching the whole exchange came up behind Pete and tapped him on the shoulder.

Turning away from Kate Pete looked at Rick and made a decision that he would regret later.

"Rick hit the showers you've been here way before your nine am start time and you've been doing this for over 3 hours. Grab a shower and a soak and then when you come back will work on your upper body strength."

Looking back at Kate he asked,

"So John sent you here did he?"

"He did. And I don't see what you think was so funny."

"And you're going to cover the sport of boxing?"

"Well, I'm going to try."

"Listen, sweetcakes, this is a no-nonsense sport. If your head is not in the game you will get hurt. So, any questions you want to ask any of my fighters will be on their own time and away from here. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Geez. You don't have to be so rude!"

"Honey, I ain't bein rude. I'm just looking out for my guys that's all. And the fact that John would send someone who obviously knows nothing about the sport is what was so funny."

Not one to be discouraged she asked Pete,

"So what about the guy that just hit the mat, what's his story?"

"Who, The Kid?"

"The Kid?" Kate asked.

"Listen, honey, if you really want to write a column on boxing first off you need to do some research about the man who just left and then come and talk to me. He was once a heavyweight champ. So, until you do that research you can look around the gym, see what the other fighters are doing but leave him alone. I'll let you know when you can speak to him about your column or article or whatever it is that your writing."

"Wait I can't talk to him after he leaves here?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm sayin. He's training for a shot at a heavyweight title and no dame is going to get inside his head. Understand? So, do your research and then come back and talk to me. Maybe I'll let you ask him some questions."

She nodded her thanks and turned to leave. Nothing would stop her from getting answers, not even a grumpy old trainer named Pete. For the almost hour she was there she came away with a headache and the smell of sweat filling her nostrils and neither were pleasant. Knowing that she needed to find out more about him she decided to take that Pete guys advice and look into this Kid character. But not before she did a little stalking of her own. She'd wait until he left for the day and then start asking him some questions. At first, she would ask about everything boxing to put him at ease and then she would get into the thick of it. Where he was born, what he liked to do in his free time and questions of that sort. Yeah, this would be very good for her. And she'd get valuable information on him as well.

There was a coffee shop across the street and she would wait for him to finish whatever he was going to finish at the gym and then she would _accidentally_ meet him.

Okay, this was getting out of hand now she has been here in the coffee shop for the last 4 hours now. What in the hell could he be doing in there that's taking so long? No sooner did she think that she sees him walking through the door of the gym. Now she puts her plan into effect. She's up off her stool and out the door just leaving the $5 bill on the counter to cover the coffee she ordered. She checks for traffic on the street, crosses and slides up right behind him.

"Hi!" Kate almost yells.

"Oh hello."

"I was wondering if I could ask you some questions?"

"Actually, miss... ?

"Oh, it's Ms. Beckett. And you are?"

"My name is Rick. And I'm not too sure that talking to you is the right thing for me to be doing. I'm not really supposed to have any distractions while I'm being trained and believe me you look like a distraction."

"But a good one yes?"

"That remains to be seen and it's nothing that I will pursue right now. I'm not too sure that answering your questions would be in my best interest. Plus you got me clobbered in the ring a while ago. So maybe some other time."

Kate stands there dumbfounded as Rick walked away. There's no way any man could resist her, but apparently, she was wrong because he was still walking. Should she try and catch up with him or should she just do her research for now and then ask him all her questions later.


	8. Chapter 8

She is in too deep. The amount of information that she has found on 'The Kid' is staggering. He started off in boxing as a 178-pound light heavyweight. He had won almost every fight he was entered in. But his record was better by the time he reached Cruiserweight. He had won every fight he was in. His record was unbelievable, to say the least. After he had conquered the Cruiserweight class he moved into the heavyweight class. From there he had only suffered two losses the last one stripping him of his title.

After that, for the last three years, he had been idle. He was nowhere in the sport. The only thing that her research lacked was more information about the man personally. It had every stat under the sun about his boxing accomplishments, but his personal life was not that readily available. Boxers don't move in the same circles that she's used to when she wrote stories for the society column. When she was doing that column, she had the dirt on everybody in the city. With this, she's lost at sea. No mention of a girlfriend, a wife or children. It's like he just lived for the sport alone. But she would get to the bottom of it even if it took her all day.

Startling awake from her cell phone ringing she jumped up off her couch where she fell asleep and the boxing book she was reading went flying onto the floor when she stood up to get her phone.

"Hello?" Kate asked not recognizing the number of the incoming caller.

"Beckett! What are you trying to do? Do you know all the hell I went through to get you anywhere near that gym? And then you do this?"

"Mr. Nelson I don't know what you're talking about I haven't done anything wrong. All I did was go to the gym, I watched men jumping rope, then I watched men beating up bags, and then I watched a man get knocked on his ass."

"And therein lies our problem Beckett. You got the man knocked out! He's a heavyweight fighter and you just sashayed right on in there like you owned the place and he took one look at you and that was it. Listen to me you're going to have to go back there when he's not there. And anyway, you're not writing an article on him, you're writing it on the sport of boxing. If you want to write a column just on the man alone you're going to have to come and talk to me first. I can't believe you." John said disgustedly.

"What can't you believe Mr. Nelson? You told me you wanted a story on the world of boxing. And when I walked in there he was just there looking at me and he's the one who wasn't paying attention to the other person he was fighting. That's how he ended up on his ass. It wasn't my fault he was looking at me like I was the last woman on earth."

"How can you be so dense, can you at least tell me that? You don't get it, do you? Men who are fighting in the ring are usually abstaining from a healthy sexual relationship. When he took a look at you walking in all he saw was a walking, talking, woman of his dreams. It wasn't the fact that he doesn't know you he just looks at you as if you were his next conquest. You're like the air that he needs to breathe."

"Wait what? What are you talkin about? What do you mean he can't have a relationship?"

"Beckett it's simple. Men who are in training to fight on a regular basis do not have girlfriends, wives, or sex while they're doing that training. It gets their minds all turned into jelly and then they forget the basics of boxing. Usually ending up losing a fight in the first or second round. Plainly put you are a distraction!"

All Kate hears is the dial tone on the phone. She hangs up and wonders about The Kid.

Xx

Sy sits in the banquet room at the Plaza hotel. He knew that he had enough cash to get him only so far. But to be able to make a run for Rick's shot at the heavyweight title he'd need to get creative with his cash flow. He sits at one of the tables before they all start to arrive wondering how he will be able to work his spin on raising enough money to get Rick to be the heavyweight champ again.

Training a fighter costs money plain and simple. He'll just pitch the story that with the today's costs to support a fighter, his trainer, a sparring staff, training facility, food, hotels and all around living expenses can be overwhelming at times. He's drawn from his thoughts when the first of the guests arrive and enter the banquet room. He rises from the seat pushes his chair back under the table and heads to the front stage. He'll give his speech and in return, he hopes to pull in a hefty amount of money to keep Rick going until he's the champ once more.

He sees the usual donors walking through the door and as he looks at his watch it's almost time to start. He takes his notes out of his inside jacket pocket and goes over them one last time before heading up to the podium. He sees most of the gym owners in the room, some heavy hitters in the financial world and wonders if this might be a bit premature. He would announce Rick as the next heavyweight champion but in actuality, he can't because Rick lost his last fight 3 years ago so instead of ruffling any feathers he will simply use his title as the former heavyweight champion. Stepping in front of the podium he starts his speech. By the time he finished his speech an hour later, he sees a very beautiful brunette walking in as he is walking away back to his table. She is hugging the back wall trying to stay inconspicuous. He knows her from her work in the society column at the Banner. But he doesn't understand what she is doing here now. He will have to call Robert and ask why she was here.

Xx

Rick was never a person who could stand to be in the limelight. He hated going to functions other than boxing related events. To him, it all seem like a big waste of time because in actuality he was the talent. He knew that times were tough and sometimes he needed to make a showing in order to get donations his way but he doesn't need to like it. He follows Sy off the stage and is getting ready to leave when he sees the woman he ran into earlier in the week. He wants to say hello to her but he knows that he'll get in trouble for doing so. So, for now, all he does is make eye contact from across the room. The second he walks away from Sy leaving the stage his eyes stay with her and she sees him and can't seem to look away either. It's only when he sees her moving towards him with the intent to probably talk to him that he decides to leave through the side door of the banquet room using Sy as a cover. And it works too, that is until he rounds the corner and starts running past the entrance to the hotel. Rick was looking over his shoulder to make sure she didn't follow never seeing her step in front of him. It was like he was a bull in a china shop and just knocked her right on her ass. She sat there stunned not knowing what the hell just happened.

Rick who wanted to avoid falling on her rolled to his right and landed on his hip on the sidewalk and completely missed landing on her.

"What the hell lady? Rick said as he pushed up off his hands back to a standing position.

"What do you mean what the hell? Listen buddy you ran into me! I can't help it if you weren't even looking forward when you did it." Kate said heatedly.

"Oh, and you think it's my fault? God, women!" Rick mumbled.

"Yeah what about us?" Kate insisted.

"You're always under foot that's what!"

Kate held her breath and counted to 5 before she said another word knowing that if she said what she was going to say there was going to be a very big fight and not with fists, well maybe.

"Okay big guy let's start this over again. My name is Kate Beckett." She said extending her hand out for a handshake.

Rick looked at her extended hand and thought about it for a second before taking her hand in his and giving her a firm shake.

"Rick Rogers. It's nice to meet you, Kate Beckett."

"Likewise Mister Rogers. So, tell me, why were you trying to avoid me or maybe a better word is evading me?"

"Miss Beckett while I am in training, members of the opposite sex are off limits. And it is one strict rule that I will abide by. I don't want to lose my shot at becoming a heavyweight champion again."

"So this means we couldn't get together for a drink and have and engaging conversation?" Kate asked hopefully.

"Especially that. Maybe when I'm done with all my training and I've been restored as the heavyweight champ then maybe we can get a drink and talk. Until then I'm pretty sure I'll regret even being seen with you. It's nothing personal but I don't want word getting back to my trainer saying I was with a woman. So please forgive the rudeness it's not you, it's me."

"Story of my life," Kate whispers.


	9. Chapter 9

He knows that Sy will set up another fight. And he knows without a doubt that he needs to win this fight in order to move on to the next fight. But right now, his mind is stuck on that woman. The one he can't get out of his head and it's throwing off his game. He knows that she will be the death of him and he also knows it will cost him the title if he does anything about it. So now he needs to put her so far out of his mind that he won't even remember what she looks like. He falls asleep in record time and only wakes when the alarm goes off.

He gets out of bed, showers, and heads to the gym. There he will hopefully get a good sparring workout in. Trainers are funny people because they're the ones who ultimately blame themselves for something that goes wrong with a fighter. It could totally be the fighter's fault but the trainer always falls back on what he could have taught the fighter in order to stay alive in the ring. And what he knows is that Pete shoulders more of the responsibility than Harry does

When he gets to the gym he makes eye contact with Pete the second he walks in the door. Pete nods and waves him over.

"Rick I think we should work on a couple of things before Friday night's fight. Sy has set up another fight and this one looks to be worse than the one you had with Sheamus. This guy is built and he has moves that I've never seen. Your nothing to mess with in your own right but this guy Rick… it has me thinking about strategies. If we can just watch a couple of his films maybe we can counter some of those moves and come out on top. But right now, what I want you to do is spar with Glen some more. And do me a favor try not to beat the crap out of him this time. He's really the only sparring partner that gives you a run for your money."

"Okay, Pete. I'm going to head into a locker room to change I'll be right back." Rick says as he heads off.

Rick is gone and back in less than 5 minutes ready to jump in the ring with Glen.

"Harry keep a close eye on Rick's footwork. Run him through the drills and make sure he keeps his left up. I'm going to review some films from a fighter he's going up against on Friday night. Give me a half hour and I'll be back." Pete says.

"No problem Pete. Do you want him to run the calisthenics drills after he gets done sparring?"

"Yeah run him through the whole thing front to back."

Pete turned and headed back to his office where he would try to find a weakness in Rick's upcoming opponent.

Xx

She knew she was hooked the second she shook his hand. But what she couldn't believe is why he wouldn't violate the rules his trainer setup, the man is definitely dedicated to the sport. She is sure that she has all the right equipment and plans to use it on him. One day she will get him alone. But then again maybe he does have a point if he is going to be fighting for a championship title she doesn't want to throw off his train of thought by enticing him for a quickie in the sack. But she knows that what they could have together would be good, really good. So, she decides to wait the month until his fight concludes. Win, lose or draw she will get the prize. She needs to write something to please her boss. She thinks about writing a piece on the backstory of Rick "The kid" Castle. It would be a piece that would show his compassionate side. She decides to dive into his personal life, well what she could find through the internet and maybe she can come up with a decent article to submit to her boss. What she needs to do is get to know him better. But with his restrictions, that's going to be kind of hard. She could write a better article if she knew the man personally but maybe this way is better.

Xx

Glen must have been working out a lot more in the last week since they sparred last. The only way Rick knows this is because he took hits that Glenn never threw at him before. Being hit in an actual sanctioned fight is way different than being hit when you're sparring it's usually softer. Which is why Glen is pounding him so hard, he knows he can get away with it. Rick, on the other hand, was able to avoid most of what Glenn threw at him but there were a couple of punches that connected that really knocked him backward. Still, he took it in stride and they both had a satisfying session.

Xx

Pete rewound the film for the third time and watched Rick's upcoming opponent with a newfound awe. The man was like Fred Astaire. His footwork was flawless and for being just over 256 pounds he could move his body like it was water. What they needed to work on was way to get around how quick he was on his feet. Rick had his work cut out for him. Not only was guy quick on his feet he attacked his opponents' weak points, it looked like he was never hit above the neck. And for Rick, it was his left hook that would do him in. He knew this guy would expose that and that's one thing that they had to work on now was it getting him to raise his left hand to strike hard. He wished he could let him lead with his left but Rick was a righty and it was great if he could use it in a combination punch but his left hand alone would never put this guy down. This is one of the things he had to work on.

Xx

Kate had done an exhaustive search on Rick's private life via the internet but it told her little if anything that would help her with her article. She was a sports writer and she would not embellish his background as she had in the past with other articles that she wrote. Especially the one they got her stuck here.

Instead, she would write up an article on his finer points in the fight with Seamus. She only hopes that her boss would accept it being that it was over two days after the fight. She would make him out to be the hero in the fight which in reality he was.

Xx

Pete watched as Rick worked with the speed bag. He had to admit that if Rick was facing an opponent the way he was beating the bag he would feel bad for his opponent.

"Rick finish up what you're doing. We need to set up our plan to beat Thomas on Friday night." Pete said.

Rick stopped beating the speed bag and shook off the sweat from his body.

"Pete I'm going to hit the showers and I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Okay, Rick."

By the time Rick and Pete had the time to go over the plan to hopefully eliminate Thomas in the fight Friday night neither were that happy with the result.

"Rick you need to have the edge here it's the only way we have a chance. This guy is fast on his feet and he can lead with both hands. We will need to work on your left hook. Believe it or not, that is or can be your secret weapon. When you were sparring this morning with Glen did you try and lead with your left?"

"Not really. The opportunity never happened. But I was able to mess with Glen a little."

"How so?" Pete wanted to know.

"I was using my eyes to convey where I might have thought my fists might be going. While he was thinking about that I took a different route with my swing."

"And this worked?"

"Many times. He looked at my gloves just a second too late"

"Well that's something we'll have to look into but right now I want you to watch these films with me so we can go over what we could possibly do to beat this guy," Pete suggested.

Rick pulls the chair around to sit alongside Pete. They watched the 5-minute video clip twice. Neither had any thoughts on what to do in order to beat this man.

Xx

Being a sports writer sometimes has its advantages. But this time it was more of a curse in her mind. She called Rick's promoter Sy and found out the name of the man he was going to fight this coming Friday. The guy is huge. So big in fact that he stands 6 foot 7. And weighs over at least 270. But the worst thing is she guesses that worried her the most was the size of his hands. They look like they belong to a grizzly bear that's how big they are. She doesn't even know how they could get a glove to fit around a hand that big. She's quick to read about the stats on the man. And so far, as of today, he only had one loss. And that lost ended up with the man going to the hospital due to the injuries this man Thomas did to him in the ring. She doesn't know what to do now. She can't go back to the gym to see Rick because of his restrictions, but maybe she can call the gym and talk to him that way she won't really be seeing him. Setting her plan in motion she picks up the phone….


	10. Chapter 10

The phone rings endlessly. She can't understand how in the world did Pete make any kind of money if they don't answer the damn phone. It rings about thirty-five times before she gets frustrated and hangs up. Now she has to wait. He was very adamant about not contacting him in person because he requested it, but she can't get him out of her mind. That and the fact that he could very well become mutilated by this fighter named Thomas.

She had looked into everything this man had done. And it wasn't that he was a dirty fighter he just took advantage of his opponent in ways that no one would see or look for. It was like the old trick where one person would say "Hey buddy look your shoe is untied" and the second that person looked to see his shoe really was untied he would end up getting uppercut to his jaw making him sail backward and land on the mat knocked out cold. Thomas was a British national and worked his way up from welterweight to heavyweight here in the U.S. But all of his fights in the welterweight division didn't always go the way he planned. There were even some fights that he lost on scoring alone even though he put up a good fight. But what worried her now was the fact that he was commingling British rules with American rules. And British rules are a lot laxer then their American counterpart.

She would do some more investigation into Thomas and hopefully, she might be able to come up with a strategy that could help Rick. She doesn't know why but she doesn't think he will make it through this fight in order to get to the next flight to regain his title once again.

Xx

"No Rick you can't do that with this guy. He'll pick you apart in seconds. What you need to do is keep your face covered and when he lunges with a punch straight to your head, bob and weave and then strike back with body blows to the abdomen and kidneys. After you do this and he bends over in response just hit him with four or five Upper Cuts and then right hooks. After you're done with the right hooks nail him with a left hook. This will give him something to think about while he is on the mat on his back hopefully. And if he anticipates your move you just better learn how to dance really fast." Pete told him.

"This is going to be a disaster I can tell already. He will see it coming before I even throw it, Pete. Maybe Harry has some tricks up his sleeve we could use because we're going to need all the help we can get."

All Rick wants to do is get through this next fight and then he'll be home free. He knows that the title is held by some crazy Russian. And they're going to need to strategize a lot more in order to take him down to reclaim his title. And if it's anything like the Russian's last fight it might go the full 15 rounds and he's not so sure he can make it a full fifteen rounds.

Pete watches as Rick reviews the tape of Thomas's last fight. What he sees is a man who is battling internally on how to find a strategy to take this man down. He also knows that Rick needs to win this fight in order to move on to the title fight where he can get his heavyweight belt back.

"Listen Rick I'm going to leave you here to review these tapes. When you're done I'll be in my office."

"Alright, Pete I shouldn't be that much longer."

Pete turns away and he knows that Rick will stay here for at least another hour studying all of his opponent's moves.

Xx

She has every right to see him she thinks as she gathers up her coat and puts it on. Just because his trainer said that a female can't be near a fighter the day before a major fight is not reason enough for her to stay away. But there's something that she needs to tell him and she hopes that he will listen to her because for him not to know what she found out could spell a lot of pain for him. And she kinda likes him to stay in one piece.

After she read more about Thomas and the way he fought she knew something bad would happen once they entered the ring together. This is why she is heading for the gym where she knows he is right now. She hopped in her car and in no time, she is pulling up in front of the gym. And she never realized it until now but she doesn't think Rick even has a car. It's strange in a way because everyone needs a car. So that leads her to believe that he lives closer to the gym than she thinks.

It's déjà vu all over again when she walks into the gym. Knowing that men will be eyeing her up the further she moves inside. Finally inside and a little more comfortable with her surroundings she sees that he is sitting at a table in front of a computer screen watching something. It's too far away for her make out what he's watching even if she squints. It's only when she sneaks a look over his shoulder she sees what Thomas is about to do on the screen he is watching. It's like a train wreck he reels backward almost falling off the chair after he sees Thomas landing a hard right cross against his opponent on the screen. She is hesitant to stop him from falling but in the split second he places his foot behind him and pushes forward stopping is descent to the floor. She watches him as he repositioned himself in a chair. It's then when he drops his head to his hands she thinks this is going to be all over and he'll throw in the towel so to say. But she is surprised by his determination. She can hear him mumble to himself something about his stance and footwork.

His head moves up and he stills the recording on the screen.

"Miss Beckett, why are you here?" Rick asked.

At first, she's confused. She hadn't made any noise when she came up from behind him so she can't figure out how he knew she was even there.

"What do you have psychic powers or something?" Kate accused.

"No Miss Beckett I don't. If you take a whiff of what this place smells like then you'll understand why. But I don't think that you can and understand my reasoning so let me put it to you like this how many men do you know where your type of perfume? This place smells like a sweatshop and you come in smelling as sweet as a rose." Rick said without even turning around.

Kate started to blush.

"Well yeah, I like to smell good. But I should have realized that was a dead giveaway. Rick, please look at me for a second." Kate asked.

Rick turned slowly and took her in. His heart was pounding harder and he could feel it would come out of his chest. God she was going to be the death of him.

"Yes, Miss Beckett."

"It seems that we have the same and goal in mind. I have done some research on the man you're going to fight tomorrow night. Mr. Thomas is a sneaky fighter, to say the least."

"Well, it just so happens Miss Beckett that's what I was doing when you came in. I was reviewing his old fights when he was in the welterweight class. And yes, you're right he is kind of a dirty fighter he bends the rules to his advantage. But I think I'll do okay against him." Rick said.

"Rick, do you mind if I sit down?" Kate hoped that she could because she had a lot of information to share.

"Miss Beckett I'm trying to keep this as professional as possible. If Pete my trainer comes out here and sees you sitting here with me he's going to blow a gasket. I need to go over this now and then hit the showers and go home for a good night's sleep." Rick said pointing at the screen in front of him.

Rick, how about if I gather everything I have on Mr. Thomas and show you what I found? I could meet at your place or if you insist we can meet at the coffee shop right down the block."

Rick looked at her with a skeptical look not knowing if she was telling the truth or not but it looked like she was being honest with him. And since when did she do research on fighters?

"Okay Miss Beckett give me thirty minutes. I'll hit the showers and then I will meet you at the coffee shop. Is that enough time for you to gather your evidence?"

"Yes, Rick it'll be enough time," Kate said as her smile broke out over her face.


	11. Chapter 11

While he showered he thought about Kate. He'd never call her that to her face because it would make her more of a liability for him. He could not get involved with her even though he wanted to take her right to bed and make wild, crazy and passionate love to her. He could see it in her eyes as well. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. She was off limits and he knew it. Sex between them would need to wait, even if it might not ever happen. He'd just go to the coffee shop and listen to what she had to say and then leave. He had a fight to prepare for.

Kate knew that there was an immediate connection between the both of them when they first met. When they saw each other again today this only reconfirmed her thoughts. And if she had her wits about her she'd pull him into a long, passionate, toe-curling, deep throated, kiss. But she would do nothing to jeopardize his mindset for his upcoming fight so she needed to behave. He needed to beat Thomas and maybe, just maybe she might be able to help him with that. She rushed out of her apartment with all of her research on Thomas and hoped that she would be at the coffee shop before he would get there.

By the time she got to the coffee shop she scanned the shop and did not find him at the counter or in a booth. She took the second booth on the left-hand side, sat down and waited for him to get there. She reviewed what she had found on Thomas and she hoped that her information was more significant than whatever he found.

When he walks into the coffee shop he sees her immediately. Her head is down and she is reading something that is using all of her concentration. He slides up next to the table and then asks her,

"Miss Beckett, can I join you?"

"Why yes, Mr. Castle you can," Kate answered with a smile that started to grow on her face. Rick returned the smile but not as brightly.

"So Miss Beckett tell me what you found. Because whatever you're reading there seems to be very important."

"Yes, Mr. Castle I think it is. I have uncovered some facts or I'd rather say and dirty dealings about Mr. Thomas."

"You have, have you? Please tell me what have you found out."

"Being that he is a British citizen and even though he is supposed to follow American boxing rules he sometimes incorporates MMA techniques into his fighting. They are small additions to his fighting, to say the least, but someone someday will catch on and he will be fined."

"Oh no Miss Beckett, if he was caught he would be suspended and his license will be pulled. Then it's up to the committee to decide if he will be allowed to fight again in the future."

Kate motions Rick to take the tablet that she is holding. On it are many videos of Thomas fighting following the rules and some when he is not. Rick takes the tablet and puts the wireless headphones into his ears and hits play on the first video. While he watches the videos that she found she orders them both a second cup of coffee.

About an hour later Rick places the tablet down and removes the earphones. He picks up his coffee and before Kate can warn him he takes a sip of the ice cold coffee. It immediately comes right back into her face.

"Oh my god! I'm so terribly sorry." Rick apologizes profusely while reaching for her face with a napkin in his hand.

"Rick, it's okay. It's only a little bit of coffee." Kate squashes his apology.

"Still Kate, I am really sorry."

"You know that's the first time you've called me Kate."

"I need to explain to you why I do that. I can't associate your name with the power you hold over me, Kate. If I do I'm a goner."

"How so?"

"Right now I'd love to take you away from here and have my way with you. But I can't because this fight means everything to me and I don't want to blow it over a quick roll in the hay. No offense to you. But once this fight is over could we maybe go out for dinner?"

Kate just looked at him after he made his comments and turned ten shades of red. So much so that she had to drop her head down so he wouldn't see her face blushing like a teenager.

"I'd like that Rick." Kate just about whispered.

"Well, I guess that's a good thing since I like you and all."

When she heard that she looked right at him.

"You like me?"

"Yeah, Kate why do you think that I wouldn't?"

"Ummm…"

"Listen, Kate, I really need to get some sleep. It's after eight and I need to be up before the sun rises in the morning. I have a full regiment of training to go through before the fight tomorrow night."

Kate looks up and sees him getting ready to leave. She doesn't want their time to end so soon. But she knows that he could be in a heap of trouble if his trainer catches him with her. She watches as he puts his coat on and turns to walk away only to stop close to the table, bend down, lean in, and give her a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Good night Kate."

"Night Rick." She watches him until he opens and walks through the door for the coffee shop. She collects her research and leaves the coffee shop five minutes later thinking about his kiss.

Xx

"Rick keep up your right arm and protect your head. Thomas will obliterate you if you don't!" Pete yelled.

This had been the norm since he arrived at five fifteen this morning. Since he'd been in the sparring ring he had been through Juan, Glenn, and Jesus. None of them lasted long and Pete was becoming frustrated because not one of these sparring partners came close to how Thomas fought.

"Alright, we've been at this for five hours. Let's take a quick protein break." Pete suggested.

Rick removed the tape from his fists after he removed his sparring gloves and headgear. He climbed out from the ring and stepped over to the table that had the protein bars on it. Pete had sprung for the good stuff this time around. He had a box of FIT Crunch Bars. They were okay but Rick really liked the flavor he got. Peanut Butter. The four fighters devoured the box of twelve bars in record time. Then it was back to the workout.

"Okay, guys listen up. I think Rick is in the best possible shape that he'll ever be in. Jesus, Juan, and Glenn hit the showers."

"Pete what about me what should I do? Rick asked.

"Rick the fight is in less than six hours away. So as of this second consider yourself sequestered. Two blocks away there is a condo that we use for this purpose. You are not to have anything to eat, no women, and no access to the outside world. At promptly 6:00 p.m. A car will come and pick you up and bring you to the ring. Once you're at the ring you will go through a short workout and then you'll be ready. I'll see you at the ring, Rick."

Pete was right the condo they set him up in was barren of anything. All it had was a Queen size bed, and nightstand, and a lamp. There was no TV, no laptops, and no Internet. So, he did the best thing he knew he could do, he went to sleep.

The car was right on time as Pete said it would be. He was downstairs in the lobby when the limousine pulled up and the driver waved him to the car. The ride was about fifteen minutes and he had just finished his work out prior to the fight. You didn't know who was more nervous Pete or himself. Everything was riding on this fight. His other trainer Harry entered the training room and grabbed a roll of white tape. He took Rick's right hand and started taping it up as tight as he could but still leaving enough blood to circulate through his hand.

"Rick there's nothing to be worried about. You'll have the upper hand because Thomas a won't know what hit him when you strike first."

"I know Harry. But Pete swears that Thomas will fight dirty and I for one will not be able to counter what he does when he does it. But I'll do my best."

"Rick that's all we can ask for." Just then Sy walked into the training room and looked Rick over. What he saw was a boxer in top form.

"Rick it seems that you have everything pretty much down for tonight's fight. Pete has assured me that you have been through one the toughest training regiments he's ever thrown at a fighter. Just make us proud out there tonight and the next fight will be against the mad Russian. Then when you win that fight you will have your heavyweight title restored."

Xx

There was no way she was not going to be there for this fight. She bought a ticket just like everybody else and had a right to be there. But she didn't stay up in the front rows she decided to be in a seat that afforded her the luxury of seeing him kick somebody's ass but if he scanned the crowd for her he'd never find her. And that was what she wanted. She didn't want to distract him by him seeing her causing him to make mistakes during the fight. The ring announcer draws her eyes to the center of the ring where Rick and Thomas stand opposite each other.

"Ladies and Gentlemen this is the main event of the evening. Introducing first... in the red trunks weighing in at 197 pounds... he hails from Manhattan, New York City, and was rated by many, as the best boxer of the last decade, with 52 wins, 38 of them coming by the way of knockout, and only 2 defeats. He is, the former middleweight champion, the former super middleweight champion, former light heavyweight champion, and the former HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD,

RICK CASTLE!

The crowd cheers and shouts.

And in the blue trunks tipping the scales at 201 pounds…. hailing from Leicester, England he is a force to be reckoned with and is looking to regain his heavyweight title once again… his record of 47 wins, 44 of those coming from knockout please welcome LUCA THOMAS!

The crowd has mixed reactions half of them are booing the other half are cheering. The announcer steps to the middle of the ring and motions both fighters to the center of the ring.

"Gentlemen you've received my instructions in the dressing room. You both know exactly what I expect, I want a good, clean fight, obey my commands and protect yourself at all times. Touch them off and good luck to both of you."

Rick and Luca touch gloves and return back to their respective corners. It's seconds before the bell chimes starting the first round.

Thomas had come out as Rick thought he would. He was like a windmill swinging wildly. His hits were not that accurate, but when they connected there was a lot of power behind them. He is working on protecting his head and upper body but Thomas keeps tearing down his defenses. He can tell that Thomas will be as ruthless as they saw him on the videotapes. And he's waiting for it, the first time he tries to incorporate his MMA moves into the fight. And Rick ends up being unaware for the first time he gets away with it. It's during the 7th round when Rick is getting a little tired. He leans up against Thomas and Thomas holds him in sort of a neck hold. That's when Rick feels his knee jab him right above his man parts. He's quick to separate and retaliate with a cross and an uppercut. This stuns Thomas who's not expecting it and sends him reeling back. The fight goes almost until the 12th round. That's when Rick decides to unleash is massive fists upon a man who is little heavier than he is. The 12th round is three minutes in length. By the time the two-minute twenty-second mark comes around Rick has Thomas on the mat and unconscious, bleeding from the cut in his lip.

There were of course injuries that he sustained during this fight that will hurt tomorrow. His jaw is killing him, his eye is swollen shut, and the ringing in his ears won't stop.

Xx

From her seat she sees him taking hit after hit after hit during the fight. And she's reminded by the video that she had shown him earlier when Thomas tries to knee him in the gut. Rick takes the hit but later it is revealed that many, many points were removed from his score for that move. If Rick didn't knock him out, then he would have won because points that were removed from Thomas's scorecard would have made Rick the winner by his score alone. She waits until the announcer makes his announcement that Rick has won the fight before she gets up and leaves her seat to head home. She might call him tomorrow but for now, she's happy that he won this fight and is moving to the next fight. She doesn't think that she'll be able to see him because she has to do her job he'll probably be training for the next month before the title fight.


	12. Chapter 12

She was way past being giddy. His call to her three days later had her on cloud nine. She had an early start the day after the fight to write the article about the how Rick won. His call two days after she had written the article had her so happy that he was willing to take the first step by reaching out to her.

"So I read the article you wrote about the fight Kate, it was amazing!" Rick said sounding so proud.

"Thank you, Mr. Castle. I'm so glad you liked it." She responded.

"The reason for the call Kate is that I want to set up a time and place for our date."

She wanted to tease him a little so she just went for it hoping he had a sense of humor.

"Date? We have a date?" She asked a little stunned.

"Yes, remember when we met at the coffee shop and I asked if we could get dinner together after I was done with the fight?"

"No, that must have slipped my mind. Why, did you want to take me out for a meal?"

"Well, yeah I was hoping that we could get to know each other a little better over dinner," Rick said disappointedly.

"Is that so. Well, I'm pretty much booked up for the rest of the week Rick sorry to say."

"I see. Well if you're booked up maybe we can make plans for when I return."

If there was something that could snap her out of her teasing this was it. But she stuttered when she spoke to him next knowing that her teasing was the wrong thing to do.

"R-R-Rick what do you mean when you return? Where are you going?"

"Kate I am heading north past Albany to a little town called Schuyler Falls to train for this upcoming fight next month. The fight that will hopefully put me back on top."

"You are telling me that you'll be gone until the fight next month?"

"Well yes, I will be. Why?"

Shit, this was not the way she wanted this to go. Her and her damn improvisation on the spot. She needed to see him before he left but with the teasing, she just told him she was booked for the rest of the week. She needed to think fast, really fast. She made rustling sounds at her desk as if she was checking her calendar.

"Rick you're in luck, my boss just handed me a cancelation for an interview I was supposed to take later tonight."

"Oh. Kate, it's okay really, I wouldn't want you to miss anything for your job just to see me. It's fine. Go to your interview. I can't stop the city's number one sports reporter, now can I?"

No! this was what he always did. Pushing his personal life to the wayside so she could be more at her job. She loved and hated that he did this.

"Rick it's no big deal. My editor says that the interview can wait. He just handed me a note saying that the person I was supposed to interview would not be available to see tonight."

"Well Kate if you're up for dinner, I'd love to take you out."

"I love that Rick. So how about we meet up around seven?"

"That would work. Do you know Del Monaco's on Beaver street?" He asked hopefully.

"I do Rick but that is an expensive place to eat at."

"Don't worry about the cost Kate. I can afford it. And anyway, it's my treat."

"If you insist. Can I meet you there say around six? Since my interview was canceled I need to go home and make myself look pretty before we meet up."

"Why are you lying Kate?"

Kate turned white as a sheet. She knew that she had been caught in her lie about the interview. So, she played it cool.

"Lying Rick, whatever about?"

"There's no need for you to pretty yourself up because you are beautiful just the way you are."

 _Whew. She thought, dodged a bullet there. But he has her heart in the palm of his hand with a comment like that._

"Either way Rick, I still need to change out of my grungy clothes and become more presentable for our date.

"Alright, Kate. I'll meet you at Del Monaco's at six tonight."

"That'd be fine Rick. But if you want me to be ready by then I need to hang up the phone and head to my apartment to change into something more presentable."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you later." Rick as he hung up the phone.

When the call ended Kate head a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. She had the dress picked out that she knew she wanted to wear to entice him into making love to her because it would be her only shot. After tonight she wouldn't know when she would see him next.

Kate shut everything down and moved to talk to her boss. She knew that he needed the follow up to her article and that's the reason she went to go see him.

"Mr. Nelson I'm just wondering if I could have one more day to finish up my follow up article on Rick Castle's fight from the other day?"

"Kate, that would be fine just make sure that you have on my desk first thing Friday morning. Going somewhere so soon Kate? It's only 3:30 in the afternoon?"

"Actually yes, I am. But it's a personal matter. Have a good night John." Kate spun around and made a beeline towards the exit before her boss could ask her any more questions.

Xx

John had decided that she had become everything he could expect as a sports reporter for the paper. But he kept one thing from her after she told him she was leaving. She didn't find out until later the next day that her old job was being offered back to her when she met Claire for lunch. Claire had told her that the legal department was looking into the family she wrote her exposé on and it turned out that they had more skeleton's in their closet than they cared to admit to. A prosecutor had read her article and decided to do a little digging into her accusations on his own time. What he found out warranted a deeper look into this family. This prosecutor was working closely with the papers legal team and had yet to contact Beckett yet. But that was coming, and soon.

He was one who would not let that happen. He had invested too much time in her to get her where she is now, and that would be the number one sports reporter for the paper. Even the owner loved her articles. He kept that news to himself so her ego would not become that inflated. She diligently wrote about Castle's return to the ring with a commitment that was not seen by any other reporter in this spot in a long time. Her use of the right boxing analogies in her article gave it class. His boss told him that if he wanted to keep her as a reporter in his department speaking of this possible return to her old job with anyone was a sure-fire way to lose her. His only problem was that bitch Claire. One; she had a devious mind. Two; she would stop at nothing to get her reporter back, and three; Claire played dirty. Somehow, some way she would use every trick in the book to get Kate Beckett back to her department.

Xx

She had the perfect dress picked out. While it might not have been a Gucci or an Armani, it meant just as much to her as if it was. When she bought it, it was a spur-of-the-moment purchase. she had been a shopping one day and by chance, she was passing a Nordstrom's. Just for the hell then she walked in. The second she walked into the women's department the dress was calling out to her. It was a Helmut Lang and it was beautiful. Originally sold for six hundred and fifty dollars, it was reduced to four hundred seventy-five dollars. And of course, with the dress, she needed a new pair of pumps and a clutch to go with it. She topped it all with a matching shawl. This was what she going to wear tonight when she met with Rick.

With the dress taken care of now, she just needs to hop into the shower then get herself ready. She showered quickly and she is applying makeup when she looked down at her watch to find that she is going to be late if she didn't kick it into high gear. She finishes with her makeup, slips the dress on and fusses to make it look better while looking in the full-length mirror. With that finished the grabs her clutch, keys, and her shawl and walks out the door.

Xx

If he's anything he's nervous. He is dressed in his best suit, one that he hasn't worn in a long time and found that it was too large on him. His belt is pulled to tightest notch it has and his pants are still loose around his waist. He sits at the table keeping one eye on the door and the other on the single red rose he bought on the way to the restaurant. With every opening and closing of the door, his anticipation and fear levels rise to extreme levels. He has never been this nervous meeting a woman. He's not sure what to expect. What he does know is that he cares for her a lot.

The second the door opens and he sees her walk through it, he's on his feet grasping the single rose and hiding it behind his back with his left hand. As she approaches he moves to her seat and waits for her to get closer. She looks at him oddly, but he reaches out his right hand to take hers in his she doesn't resist. He doesn't want to screw this up so he takes her fingertips in his palm, raises the back of her hand to his lips and gives her a soft kiss. As he finishes with the kiss her hand dropped down to her side and his left hand comes out from behind his back revealing the rose he got for her.

"Rick oh my God it's beautiful."

All that shows on his face is a smile that would put Broadway lights to shame.

"I'm glad that you like it, Kate," Rick says as he takes in the dress she is wearing.

"Killer dress," Rick comments to her.

"Thank you, Rick."

He takes her chair pulls it back and sways his hand in a motion for her to sit. When she does he slide her towards the table. Taking his own seat, he just takes her in. He was right she is beautiful, stunning actually.

Their server comes to the table with a basket of warm bread sticks and butter. He leaves the menus and takes their drink order. They both decide on the surf and turf and place their order when the server returns with their drinks. The food is brought out and they eat in silence. That is until Kate really needs to know how he will be gone for.

"Tell me, Rick, how long is this trip you're taking going to last?"

"Kate I'll be gone from Friday until the night of the fight. I'd say about a month to forty-five days depending on how long it takes Sy to set up the fight." Rick tells her.

No there was no way that he could be away from her for that long. Something inside her needed to be near him and she had no way to tell him what she wanted.

He noticed what must have been her inner turmoil hard at work by the looks she was showing on her face. He could tell that she looked like she was trying to solve something in her head but had no clue as to what.

"You can't go!" She blurted out without any thought.

"Kate? Why not? You know that I need to train for this fight, it's my only shot at the title. If I don't go I won't be able to take this crazy Russian and then I'd never regain my title. A lot is riding on this Kate."

Again without thinking Kate blurts out one more unfiltered thought…

"Take me with you."

"No can do. No women allowed they are one of the worst distractions known to a fighter in training. You do remember what I told you Pete said right?"

"I do, but Rick I can't not see you. I need you like I need air to breathe. Is there any way at all that I can come?"

"Kate, if there was a way don't you think I would have thought of it?" Rick said honestly.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: This chapter moves into an "M" rating.**

With their dinner was done, Rick had lived up to his word. He had taken care of the bill even though she fought him on it. But he did compromise a little in her favor but just a little. He let her leave the tip.

"Kate as great as this night has been, I think that it's time I take you home."

She really didn't want the night to end. He was right the night was great, magical even.

"Rick, I have my car here so we could take that if you wanted to"

"Okay, because I walked over. I just want to get you home safe."

She wondered. "Safe Rick? I'm a big girl and I live in a pretty safe neighborhood."

"Yes, safe Kate. I want to have the option to see you again and if you get hurt or even worse, dead, that won't happen so let me take you home."

"Alright, Rick. My knight in shining armor."

Kate hands the car keys to Rick and being a gentleman that he is, he opens the passenger side door for her. She gives him a wink as she slips into the seat. He quickly jogs around about to the car to get in the driver's seat, starts the car up assures that their seat belts are buckled in place and pulls out from the spot. The ride is very short one it takes about ten minutes to get back to her apartment. During the ride, her hand wandered over to his thigh. At first, he was startled but then he had a slight idea about where she wanted to go with the night next. And he was all for it because after tonight there would be no more of them seeing each other for the next month to a month and a half.

"Turn right here Rick, on to 12th street," Kate told him.

Once he made the turn on to the street, she directed him to a parking garage that was under her apartment building. Parking the car in her designated space they both got out and headed for the elevator. The ride up to her apartment was slow being that the elevator was as old as it was. She lived in a prewar building. And it's what Rick liked about it so much. The architecture was one thing that drew him into this area. He didn't live that far from here.

"So Kate have you lived here long?"

"I have Rick. For about six years. The apartment I was lucky enough to get was a rent-controlled apartment and I wouldn't give it up for the world."

The elevator doors opened and the pair walked out turning right they walked down a narrow hallway and stop at apartment 6D.

"Well, this is me, Rick. I'm glad that we have this time together tonight. I enjoyed being with you and the restaurant you picked was amazing."

"Thank you, Kate. I enjoyed our time together too. On Friday I leave for Schuyler Falls and I'll be out of communication for the next month at least. But I do want to take you out after my title fight.

"I'd like that Rick. So, I guess I'll see you soon?"

Before Rick could even form an answer in his head, Kate had pressed her body so close to his that he could feel her body under her dress. The next thing he felt was her lips on his and her hands were running through his hair. He knew she was aggressive but this move just cemented it in his mind. He wonders what she would be like in bed.

"Rick, could I interest you in a nightcap?" Kate asked when she broke from the kiss.

"Kate are you sure about this?"

"Rick it's just a drink. What else could go wrong?" She smiled deviously at him.

"Kate is not a matter of what could go wrong, it's your ulterior motives that I'm worried about."

"Rick I just want to know what you will be coming back to after your title fight. And if you have nothing to gauge it against what am I going to do?"

"Alright, Kate. Yes, I would like a nightcap. What do you have?"

Kate smiled ear to ear with his answer. She fumbled with the keys to her apartment finally unlocking the door and he followed her inside. The second he did, he shut the door and shoved her against it and his hands strategically went to the soft flesh between her legs. His other hand caressed her cheek as he kissed her hard.

She didn't expect the move he made so soon. Before she knew it, she was slammed up against the closed door and his hand was stroking her clit. She almost came right there. And she wondered what other tricks he had up his sleeve. But his tongue was so deep down her throat that she needed to breathe so she put her hands on his chest to give him a slight push so she could take in some air. As she did his hand never left her clit. She had looked at the size of his pupils and they were as wide as saucers. She knew he wanted this as much as she did.

"Rick are you clean?"

"I am Kate, are you?"

"I'm clean and on the pill."

That's all it took. Rick bent over grabbed her from behind the knees and behind her back and pulled her up to his chest where her arm automatically went around his neck. He waited for her to tell her which way to go to get to the bedroom but all she did was point with the other hand her mouth was somewhat busy at the moment. The second he walked into the bedroom he knew that he would never regret tonight.

Xx

God, he had one of the most talented tongues she's ever had between her legs. She's sure that he made her come twice already. She can't wait for his cock to enter her. The third time she comes her hips buck wildly towards his head. She takes both of her hands and guides his head and tongue where she needs him.

He has been giving her orgasm after orgasm but now she needs to step up and please him. She takes him by the hair pulls him up and off her clit and then pulls him towards her. It's then when she realizes is that he still dressed. He has his pants and T-shirt on his dress shirt lying haphazardly on the bed. She remedies that by grabbing the hem of his T-shirt and pulling it up over his head. She is shocked to see the size of his arms up close. The last time she saw his arms and chest, he was in the ring fighting and she was sitting far back. But up close, he's got muscles on top of muscles. He takes a second to undo his belt to take off his pants. She can't help but giggle at the sight she sees next. He's wearing boxers with little hearts all over them. Some are big, and some are small but they are all red, bright red. He looks up to her and says,

"They were a gift from my mother so don't laugh."

All she can do is not her head in acceptance. Soon the boxers hit the floor. And he looks like a god. He has six pack abs, quads that could probably leg press five hundred pounds easily. All she can do is stare at his semi-erect manhood. She wants him in her so bad that she takes her hand and wraps around his cock and gently strokes his length. Doesn't take long for him to grow to full size. She's wanting him so badly but just as she's about to guide him into her entrance he stops moving forward.

"Kate do you have a condom?"

God how could she have been so stupid. She knew that he would be chivalrous and think of using a condom to protect both of them. She reaches over to her nightstand and pulls the door open to find it empty of any kind of protection. Frustrated she rolls to the other side of the bed and pulls open the drawer for the second nightstand. In it, she finds one condom. She figures that at least one will be sufficient for now. If need be, they can go au natural for the next round.

He puts the condom on with ease, so much so that she wonders if he's done this with other women before. The thought is soon pushed from her mind when he places his length at her entrance.

She waits as he hesitates wanting to go as easy as possible. The second he pushes into her every nerve ending that she never felt before started making their presence known. At first, she didn't think she would be able to take him all in seeing the size of him but she has him in all the way up to his pelvis. She's adjusting perfectly to his size and girth. It's a feeling she's never had before with any other lover. He brings her to a new level of lovemaking. He starts slowly moving in-and-out of her establishing a rhythm that both of their bodies can be comfortable with.

She's on the edge of her fourth orgasm and something hits her like never before. Her whole body just starts to shake and she breaks out in a cold sweat. Then she closes her eyes and behind her eyelids all she sees something so bright she almost passes out. The feeling that she is feeling is pooling in her abdomen and she finally let's go. She shudders uncontrollably as she comes. Not long after she reaches her climax Rick does as well. He collapses on top of her and at first, she can handle his weight just fine. Knowing that she is happy Rick pushes up onto his elbows to raise his body off of hers. He rolls to the other side of the bed, sits up then stands in all his naked glory and walks to the bathroom to remove the condom and clean up.

She's in heaven. That's the only thing that she can describe it as being. She hears the water running and soon his massive body is standing in a doorway of the bathroom. She can't help but stare at his physical attributes because honestly, they are beautiful. He walks over to her reaches out for her hand and he pulls her close to him. She's on her knees on the mattress and it's the perfect height for her while he is standing to be able to snuggle into the crook of his neck. They hug and it is so very intimate for her. She is almost on the verge of tears because of what he did for her. He wraps his arms around her back and pulls her even closer to his own body. Then she realizes it, the man is a human furnace. His body temperature has to be at least ten degrees hotter than her own.

He looks down at her in sees that she is everything he wants for his future.

By the time the sun rises the next morning, Kate has been satisfied somewhere in the neighborhood of about eight times. Each round was more intense than the last. The bed was not the only place that they christened last night. Kate needed to start the day decides to get up and take a shower. She slips gently out of the bed being sure not to wake up Rick.

He felt her when she left the bed. He'd let her get started and then help wash her back. He waited until the water started and gave her a few extra minutes to let the water get to a comfortable temperature. He rises from the bed and walks into the steam filled bathroom. He opens the door and watches as she works the shampoo into her hair.

She can feel the temperature change the second the door is opened. She waits in anticipation for his move and is not disappointed when he wraps his hands around her middle. Her hands drop to cover his. It's what she hears next that really shocks her.

"Kate, I think that I'm falling for you. Hard."


	14. Chapter 14

She thinks of him in what she sees around her. What she smells nearby. What she feels with a simple touch. She's in love with him and she can't get him out of her system. She feels this way right until she entered the front lobby of the paper. There is a crowd in the lobby and she can see Claire at the center of what must be a press conference. She does not know what it's about or who it involves so she keeps walking to the elevators to go to the sports department. But it's Claire's voice that stopped her from getting to the on the elevator.

"That person right there is the person you should be talking to," Claire said as she pointed to Kate standing in front of the elevator.

All Kate could do was turn around and see a crowd of reporters quickly heading towards her. She had no idea what they were doing coming towards her because she had no idea what they were here for in the first place.

"Miss Beckett, Miss Beckett." One reporter yelled out.

"Miss Beckett, can you tell us what made you investigate The McMillan family for embezzlement, unfair business practices, and labor violations as well as possible murder charges?" A second reporter asks.

"I'm sorry I don't know why you're asking me these questions. My article was retracted months ago, and I was treated like I was a second-class reporter and shoved into a punishment I didn't deserve."

Kate looks over to Claire who is shaking her head violently to try to get her to stop talking. Because that's not what happened. She wanted to keep her as her star reporter but her hands were tied. And now it looks like Kate is going to exploit what happened to her in front of the whole press corps.

It's only then that Kate notices Claire trying to make her way through the crowd of reporters to get her to stop talking. She also sees the paper's owner Robert standing there off to the side of the podium with his head bowed down looking at the floor. She doesn't know what to make of it. What she is seeing is a man of his stature admitting defeat. She needs to decide how she wants to play this out.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press corps please disregard what my reporter is saying. Yes, she is the one who wrote the article that was retracted but she was on to the truth long before any of the Macmillan's were accused of the crimes they allegedly committed." Clair says trying to save face.

Kate knows when someone is trying to cover their own ass and Claire's doing it right now. Before she knew it, she was pressing the button for the elevator to get out of there. Claire has a few words for her in front of everyone before the elevator arrives.

"Kate listen, about your assignment in the sports department, Robert has been thinking it over and he wants you to come back to The Lifestyle department and pick up where you left off. He's offering you a higher salary and perks that only seasoned reporters get here. So, what do you say Kate?"

Kate just stood there contemplating what she was going to say next. In her mind, she always wanted to go back to where she was from in the paper. But that was before she met Rick. And before she became enamored with the sports department and writing for her own column. She liked it where she was.

"Claire, go to hell!" The elevator doors opened and Kate stepped on without looking back.

Xx

Pete had planned Rick's training for the next month. There would be four separate disciplines each lasting one week. The first would be physical training in the cold. The second week would be a vigorous training regimen with someone special. The third week would be in the gym training with weights and old tried and true methods and the last week would be basically split between watching films of his opponent and strategies they needed to have in place before the fight. His diet would change drastically, Sy had a nutritionist flown in from Chicago who would prepare Rick's meals with specific guidelines for fat, sugar, and carbs. His meals would be lean and almost all protein. But on the day of the fight, Rick would be able to eat whatever he wanted for breakfast, have a light lunch and by the start of the fight he'd be just about finished digesting his lunch. It would be much easier for him to fight on an empty stomach than a full one.

Xx

Whoever thought of going to Schuyler Falls in the middle of winter was a good idea should have their head examined. The routine that they had set up for him this first week was mostly outside. He was working with primitive equipment. Yes, there was modern equipment set up in the gym, the very warm gym, but Pete had decided to work his lower body as well as is upper body. Which is why he finds himself hitched to an old fashion six-person sled. What he's trying to do is pull the sled which weighs about a good seven hundred pounds through the snow. He thought that this would be a mostly inside training schedule but boy was he ever wrong. Pete had the bright idea to have him take the place of a horse to try and move the sled to get his quads and his calf muscles stronger so he could move easily around the ring. He didn't see the mentality in it but if Pete wanted it done, he'd do it.

"Okay, Rick I think it's time for a break," Pete says as he holds out a power bar and a bottle of cold water.

"Pete tell me why I'm doing this again?" Rick asks.

"It's simple Rick. This sled pulling will build both your stamina and lower body strength. It will make you faster in the ring and it will give you an edge over Wladimir Klitschko. That's why."

"Pete, Klitschko announced that he was retiring from boxing last year and he did. What makes you think that he'll come out of retirement to fight me?"

"Rick, he wants a shot at defending his title the same way you want a shot to get it back. I'll bet he's in Siberia right now doing the same thing that we're doing, training our hearts out."

"But Schuyler Falls Pete? Why couldn't we be in someplace warm like Miami?"

"Rick, really? Do you think that you'd get any training done with the sight of women in skimpy bikinis everywhere?"

 _If you only knew Pete, if you only knew._

"Yeah, your right. So, what's next?" Rick said as he finished both his power bar and water.

"As you know, Klitschko ended his professional career with 64 wins in 69 fights, 53 by knockout, establishing three major records of the modern heavyweight era: the most wins in heavyweight title bouts, most wins in unified championship bouts, and most consecutive defenses of the unified title. It's my job to make sure that he won't make you another one of those statistics."

"Pete Klitschko has a deadly left hook. Something I can't get around. Do you have a plan for that?"

"I do. Starting tomorrow you be sparring with a man who knows his moves like the back of his hand."

Rick looked at Pete and he looked like he was guarding a national secret.

"Come on Pete out with it!" Risk demanded.

"Well since you've been a good boy…I am going to let you spar with…"

Rick was hanging on his every word waiting for the name Pete was going to say. But when he just kept staring at him, he knew he was messing with him.

"Come on Pete tell me!"

"Alright. It's Vitali Klitschko!"

Rick just stood there his empty water bottle falling from his hands. If the ground was not covered with snow he'd have fallen to his knees as well.

"Tell me your lying," Rick asks him in shock.

"No, I'm not. Sy went to a lot of trouble and expense to get him here to train with you. Rick, you can't blow this chance. Listen to everything the man has to tell you."

"Don't worry I will."

Xx

By the time Kate walked into the sports department, she saw John having a very heated conversation on the phone in his office. As she sat at her desk the receiver was slammed down back into the cradle. Then the swearing started. And she knew exactly what was going to happen next.

"BECKETT!"

She gets up and makes her way over to his office. She didn't do anything wrong so this has to do with the phone call he just received. She cautiously walks to the doorway and waits for him to ask her to come in.

He looks up and takes her in not knowing how to start this conversation.

"Beckett guess who I just got off the phone with?"

"I have no idea Mr. Nelson and personally I don't care."

"Well, you better start caring because apparently Robert the owner of the newspaper and the man who pays your salary seems that he might have made a mistake by making you move from the society pages to the sports department.

"John, listen, I don't care. Seriously I just don't give a shit. Claire stabbed me in the back all those months ago. And now that my article has just a little bit of truth to it, she is looking to be my savior. But what she's actually doing is just trying to save her own ass. I want nothing to do with it."

John is shocked, to say the least. He can't believe that she won't go back to her old boss and column. Maybe he did underestimate her power and her loyalties.

"Kate, what do you want?" John asks her.

"What I want is Rick by my side. What I want is to be able to write what I want when I want to. What I want is to be the one who brings down the McMillians. But you know what?"

"No what?" He asks.

"I can't have any of those things. Rick is off in seclusion training for his heavyweight fight against Klitschko. I write for you and you tell me when and what to write about. Did you ever think that I might have a brain and I can write good articles in the world of sports? And just because Robert wants to suck up to me by moving me back to the lifestyle department so he can save face too, someone else can bring down the McMillians because I just don't care anymore."

"Wait, you and Rick Castle?!"

"Yeah, John what about it?"

"I just didn't think that the two of you were that close, that's all."

"We are. And I am in love with him."

John just watches as she turns and leaves his office.

When Kate gets back to her desk, she has a decision to make. She loves to write, being the one who gets the facts for a story. Listening to everyday people who ride the subway, walk down the street, and whoever reads the paper talking about her work. She is proud of her contribution to the paper. But now it does not seem that this is what she wants anymore.

Xx

"Rick you need to get up," Pete said.

"Да, ты никогда не выиграешь бой, лежа на коврике." (Yes, You'll never win a fight by lying on the mat.)

"Pete, I need him to speak English. I am not fluent in Russian.

"Виталий, ты можешь говорить по-английски? Рик не может понять тебя." (Vitali, can you please speak English? Rick can't understand you.) Pete asked the fighter.

Vitali just nods his head.

"Rick, my brother is a powerhouse with all his punches. He can make you think that he's going to throw a punch that you're expecting. Then at the last second, he changes it up and throws a left hook or a straight right-handed punch. He's deadly with either if he connects."

For the next week, Rick and Vitali took turns at keeping each other on their toes when they sparred. Then there were times during the week where Rick felt that the repetitiveness was going to be the thing that killed him. But Vitali took it in stride and showed him new ways to avoid being hit by his brother in a way that would keep him alive to survive the round and hopefully the fight.

The second week was more footwork, jumping rope, speed bag workouts, and long bag workouts. What Vitali would do is steady the bag sometimes for Rick. When he swung and connected with the bag, Vitali was amazed at the force Rick executed that it almost knocked him over.

"Rick you have very strong arm. You need to direct your swing with more accuracy. If you're accurate with the power you put behind your punch you should be able to defeat my brother."

Rick thought about what Vitali said and started to see that there might be a way to possibly beat Wladimir. All he needed to do was stay clear if his hook. That shouldn't be so hard… right?

The next week Pete has Rick working with free weights with Vitali. Vitali is a powerhouse that's the best word Rick can come up with to describe the man. Rick can in no way keep up with Vitali but he can spot him when he squats 650 pounds. At best Rick can only get 4 reps of 565 pounds completed. After that is legs feel like jelly. But Vitali doesn't stop to take a break. The second that they finish with the leg swats they move on to dead weight lifts. This is where Rick has a slight advantage over Vitali. From a clean jerk, he can deadlift 525 pounds. Vitaly, on the other hand, has trouble with 450.

"Rick slow down this is not a race," Pete tells him.

By the time both men are finished lifting the free weights, it's just about time for dinner. His meal plan has been something that could be just a little bit better. To keep him healthy he's given what looks like green and tan baby poop. It's a paste filled with nutrition and protein but the flavor stripped out of it. What he really wants is meat and potatoes. A nice filet mignon with a side baked potato and green beans sounds good right about now.

Xx

She's undecided about what she wants now. What she needs is Rick's opinion. Even though they slept together and she's not seen him in three weeks she needs him like night follows day. There has been a lull in the way Claire had championed for her to return back to her department but she wanted no part of it. Which leads her to her next problem. Her current boss was on the fence about Claire reclaiming her star reporter.

She knew Claire and how far she'd go to have the best. She was early getting to the office on that Friday and that's when she caught them. John was putting up one hell of a fight, but Claire was playing dirty.

"John, if I want her then I'll have her! There's nothing you can do about it."

"Claire don't hold something over my head from years ago. That was then and this is now. It's a whole new ballgame and I'm not going to give her up. She likes it right where she is."

Claire snorted loudly at his last statement.

"John you can't be serious. There is no way in hell that Kate would stay here when I have so much more to offer her."

"Claire forget it. She's happy right where she is and you can't have her back."

Kate had heard about enough. She rose from her desk chair, walked over to John's office and stood there not being noticed by either of them due to the insults they were hurling at each other. She listened as they fought about who had the rights to her as a reporter. They thought that she was a piece of meat that they could carve up for their needs any way it suited them. Well, she was going to do something about it right now.

She put her index finger and thumb under her tongue pushing it up with her fingers resting on her lower lip, curled her tongue slightly, inhaled a breath and blew it out hard. The resulting whistle had Claire covering her ears and John sorta smirking at her knowing it was she who was making so much noise.

"Now that I have your attention, there's something that the both of you need to know," Kate said.

John and Claire just looked at her waiting for her to say something.

"I quit!"

With that said Kate turns and walks away from her former boss's office. She had her box sitting on the edge of her desk with her personal stuff and as she walks by, she snags it cradling it under her arm like a football.

"Kate! Wait!" Claire yells out.

"Beckett you can't leave! Who's going to write the story on Castle's fight this week?"

"John I'm sure that you can find someone else to fit the bill. But if I go to his fight, I might be persuaded to write a side piece to go along with the article."

"I'll take it. Good luck Kate."

"Wait, that's all you're going to do? You're about as smart as a box of rocks! John, she's leaving! Stop her! Claire demanded.

"Claire it's a free country and she's not breaking the law so who am I to stop her?"

"Idiot!"

Kate laughed inwardly when she heard Claire called John an idiot. Good serves her right. She watched as Claire tried to get to the elevator before the doors closed by running at her full steam. What she didn't see was the extension cord strung across her path. The toe of her shoe caught the extension cord and she face planted right onto the linoleum floor. Kate started to laugh hard. The doors closed and just before they did Claire started to get up. There was blood on her face from her apparent broken nose.

Xx

His last week was the worst. He had a combination of the prior weeks thrown into the last week. Monday was sparring until he could not keep his arms up to defend himself. Tuesday was used for pulling that damn old-fashioned sled, but this time there were six people in it weighing in at over twelve hundred pounds plus the weight of the sled. Wednesday was free weights again and working out with the speed bag, long bag, and the dreaded medicine ball. Thursday was, believe it or not, a yoga class combined with the steam room while watching past fights of his opponent. More and more he was hating what Pete would think up for his last day. He found out early when he was woken to a clanging garbage pail and lid the metal kind.

"Come on Rick up and at em!" Pete and Harry both yelled at the top of their lungs.

Rick rolled out of his bed and got ready for whatever Pete had in store for him. By the time he made it to the gym after eating his baby poop that was oddly the color of eggs today, he saw Vitali in blue trunks with a gold stripe down the sides.

Harry took Rick aside.

"Here kid, put this on and get into the ring. I'll help you lace up."

Rick looked a little puzzled. The trunks in his hand were red with black stripes his colors were blue with white stripes.

"Rick just do what Harry said," Pete tells him.

Rick heads back to the locker room to change and get his gloves. While he's in there he tapes up his fists knowing that he'll be using them soon. Then he heads back out to the gym.

"Rick, Vitali has the same moves as his brother. What you're going to do for twelve rounds is fight him. Learn what he can show you by avoid being hit. Counteract his punches by using his undefended side to strike your blows against. We'll score the fight like it is the real thing just to see how you might do on Saturday."

All Rick could do was nod and get into the ring facing his opponent. If this was going to be a real pretend fight, he needed to screw his head on straight.

Xx

Twelve rounds later Vitali and Rick were both about to drop. Each had scored pretty much the same for a TKO but Vitali had the edge or at least they thought. When the final bell rang both fighters fell onto their stools exhausted in each of their assigned corners.

"Harry, too close to call?" Pete asks him.

"I'd say so. How did they do on points?"

"Vitali was behind by one point. That last round should have been his but Rick came away with it." Pete told him.

"Harry, get them to the showers feed them and tuck them in. It's late and I need to drive down to the city to talk to Sy. Make sure you have Rick fed and out of this place by ten am tomorrow. The fight is set for eight tomorrow night.


	15. Chapter 15

Knowing that the fight would take every bit of his concentration he still thought about Kate. He misses her. He thinks that once this fight is over and whatever the outcome, he'll want to have a serious talk with her about where they will be going in their relationship. He knows what he wants but he hopes that she wants the same things he does. They only slept together once but when they did it was like they were meant for each other. Never before had he made love to a woman and feel the way he felt. Even when they were snuggling, they fit perfectly together. She brought out the best in him physically. All he's really worried about is pleasing her in the lovemaking department. He wants to make sure that she's well taken care of sexually.

But now this is something that he needs to put aside because everything is about this fight tonight. He needs to win it in order to retain his title and with the training that he has been through in the past month, he thinks he has a good shot to take his title back. He has only fought at Madison Square Garden once in his life. Last time he was there he won and he hopes to repeat the same.

Xx

The second she walked through the lobby doors she knew she had made the right decision. She knew that they would try to stop her from doing what she wanted to do but she was serious about quitting the paper. Knowing that working for Claire would be something that she would never do it again she couldn't give John the satisfaction of taking her away from Claire. It's childish but still, she is her own person and who she works for is up to her.

Xx

Harry had got Rick to the Garden and gave him something light to eat. After he finished his lunch, he went through a strenuous workout with the speed bag, a sparring partner and then he hit the steam room. Sy had decided to change his colors. So now he was wearing new trunks purple in color with yellow stripes and he hoped that these would help him win. Pete comes in and tells him that he's there to tape his hands and put on his gloves. He puts his robe on and then Pete slides the sleeves of his robe up to lace up his gloves after taping his hands. Then he gives Rick one last bit of advice for the fight.

"Rick this guy is a powerhouse. Keep your head down and keep your right arm up. Protect your head and work his vulnerable spots. With that in mind, you just might come away with the win."

"Pete, the best I can do is try. I hope that's enough."

Xx

She hangs around the entrance to the Garden on 34th Street. She can see the will call window right from where she is Working in the sports department had its perks and she definitely took advantage of them. She had asked John to have a pair of tickets waiting for her and her father to see the fight. The thing is her father couldn't make it due to his work commitments and she would be watching a fight on her own. She's been pacing the lobby now getting closer to the window not knowing if she would take the ticket and go in. It's a barbaric sport one that she has never had the opportunity to partake in but she could write about it. Fighting is something she just does not believe in. But she's in love with someone who is in the sport and for that she will give him all of her support. She finally screws up the courage to walk up to the window and ask for the ticket. She can hear the crowd inside getting rowdier as it gets closer to fight time. She's not in the first row, but fourteen rows back. She can see everything from where she is. Her vantage point is excellent.

Xx

This fight as he knew it would be the defining moment in his life. Once this was over, he was going to hang up his gloves. And if he went out on top that would be all the sweeter. He goes up to the desk to register his colors and get his final weigh-in before the fight. He tips the scales at two hundred eleven pounds and six ounces. He feels good and Harry pats him on the shoulder giving him a bit of encouragement for staying within the parameters of his weight class. He steps off the scale, throws his robe back on and starts the long walk through the tunnel for the ring. He's protected by NYPD officers and Garden security as well as he walks. They make it as far as halfway to the ring when people start asking for his autograph. All we can do is nod and keep moving forward. By the time he gets to the ring, he's ready. Off comes his robe and he starts warming up by doing some light calisthenics and shadow boxing. He's bouncing around the ring when he sees Klitschko making his way towards the ring.

Xx

Klitschko takes a look at his opponent as he comes through the ropes of the ring. It's not that he's scared of what this man could possibly do to him, he just hopes that he can beat him and retain his title. But by the looks of him, he'll give him a run for his money. He mimics what Castle is doing by taking off his robe and doing some light calisthenics

Not long after they stop exercising the Emcee enters the ring and instructs the boxers to their respective corners.

This is it the moment that he's been training for. The microphone drops into the center of the ring and the Emcee grabs it.

"Tonight we are here for a heavyweight bout. This bout will determine who will be the crowned heavyweight champion. The challenger is Rick Castle weighing in at two hundred eleven pounds, His opponent the heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko tips the scales at two hundred nine pounds."

The Emcee calls both fighters to the center of the ring. They comply.

"Gentlemen I want a good, clean, and safe fight. No hitting below the belt. In the event of a knockdown, I will point to the neutral corner I want the remaining fighter to go to. After a ten count is complete and the fighter is still on the mat, the fight is over. Am I clear?"

Both boxers nod in agreement.

"Good. Touch gloves and when the bell sounds come out swinging." The Emcee said with a grin as the microphone rises above the ring.

Rick sits on his stool in his corner. Pete is at his left with the water bottle and Harry is ready with the spit bucket and towel.

"Remember Rick we trained for this. You can take this guy. Just be aware of his hook and avoid being hit." Pete tells him.

Rick is beyond nervous. He can't wait for the bell to sound. With a slap on his shoulder, Pete motions for him to rise and when he does, he pulls the stool from his corner. Harry slips in his mouth guard and Rick adjusts it to fit right.

The bell rings and both fighters advance towards each other.

Xx

If he could see with both eyes, he might have a good shot at hitting Klitschko. In the fourth round, he took a jab to his left eye so hard that it is swollen shut. Harry wanted to cut him so he could see, but Rick refused. The sixth round has less than thirty seconds to go and he hopes he can make it.

The bell sounds and the sixth round ends.

Xx

She watches as he takes blow after blow. To her, it looks like his opponent is concentrating all his energy on Rick's midsection and head. She can see that one of his eyes are swollen shut. He just needed to get through this round and maybe Pete might have a different strategy so he can beat Klitschko. She can tell from where she sits in the fourteenth row that they are both equally tired. Twice she has seen them resting against each other to catch their respective breaths.

Xx

"Pete he has energy I wish I had. He's got a sledgehammer for a fist. No matter which way I move he's there to counter it." Rick says as he sits down on the stool.

"Rick he's just a man. You can beat him. Try leading with your right. He might not be expecting it. How's the eye?" Pete asks him as he dabs a small amount of blood from his nose.

"I'll survive."

"Listen Rick with the way Klitschko is pacing himself out there I think that he's going to try and go to the full twelve rounds. You just can't run out of gas until then. Think you can make it?" Pete asks.

"Pete it's all I can do to keep standing up straight out there. Having one eye to see out of is hurting my perception of where he is. He moves too damn fast! "

"Harry can cut the lid for you if you think it will help," Pete suggests.

"NO! I'll find a way to see straight."

The bell sounded and Rick was right back into it.

He needed something that would give him the upper hand. He sights in on his opponent and he can tell that he's just as tired as he is. He gets closer to Klitschko and he starts with a combination of jabs and one uppercut to see if he takes the bait. He does. So, with that Rick tries a different combination of punches to finally land one across his jaw.

Klitschko stumbles backward momentarily. But by the time he catches his balance, it's too late for him to stop falling to the mat. The referee makes an attempt to head out to where Klitschko lies but before he can make it two steps in the ring, Klitschko's back on his feet hungry for more.

Xx

The bell rung for the start of the tenth round.

She's on the edge of her seat when Rick lands a solid punch to Klitschko jaw. But before she can scream her head off for him in support, Klitschko is getting back up. She really wants to support him but the beating that he's taking, she can't watch him be annihilated in the ring. She walks up the aisle towards the exit but before she pushes the door open, from over her shoulder, she sees as he takes three solid jabs and right cross that has him falling towards the mat…

 **Epilogue to follow.**


	16. Epilogue

She knew that leaving the fight was the wrong move. But she could not just sit there biting her fingernails down to her fingers watching the beating he was taking. So, she left the Garden.

She went to her apartment and just sat in her loveseat and thought about every move he made in each round as she watched. He was leading in points by the seventh round and if he had not gone down as she left in the tenth, then he probably would have won seeing as he was ahead in points.

Knowing that the fight was televised she decided not to turn on her television. If anything, it would be over by the time she found it on TV anyway. She made something quick and easy to eat and then called it a night. She needed a lot of sleep after tonight.

Xx

He wanted to knock her door down. But he also needed to be respectful of her neighbors. He didn't want to wake everyone by making a fool of himself. Making a scene in front of her apartment is something he can do without. He lightly knocks on the front door hoping that she hasn't gone to sleep yet. But as he looks down his watch, he can tell that not many people would be up at 2:15 in the morning. He does what he doesn't want to do in pounds a little bit harder hoping to wake her. When she doesn't answer now, he does what he vowed he would never do he starts pounding on the door. Luckily no one around the surrounding apartments hears him pounding on her front door.

Xx

She hears it from a distance. Well, at least that's what it feels like when she hears it. Someone is pounding on her front door and she does not have the energy to get out of bed to answer it. The pounding gets louder the longer she stays in bed and then she needs to get up to answer it because whoever it is won't stop the pounding.

She throws on her robe and her slippers on and walks out to her front door. When she checks the peephole and she sees that the jerk is covering the sight glass with his thumb and she can't make out who is at her door.

"If you don't take your damn thumb away from the peephole, you're not going to get access to my apartment."

Rick who had been patched up by the Gardens doctor had a patch over his eye and a couple of butterfly sutures on his forehead. He looked more like Frankenstein then himself. If he took his thumb away from the sight glass, she would be shocked at what happened to him when she saw him. But he did it anyway. He lowered his hand from the peephole.

Kate watched as whoever it was move their thumb away from the sight glass and was appalled at what she saw when she looked through the peephole again.

Rick was taking a step back at the speed her door flew open. The next thing he felt was his body being slammed by a five-foot-nine-inch ball of fury. She held him with her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist in the middle of her hallway and didn't let go.

"Ah Kate we _are_ standing in the middle of your hallway at two twenty in the morning if we don't get inside people will start talking."

"I don't care." She mumbles against his chest, barely audible.

He ventures a step towards her front door and when he feels no opposition stopping him, he continues on. He doesn't know if she realizes it but he is now fully inside her apartment. He reaches behind himself and pushes the door closed with a quick shove. He ventures further into the apartment and sits down on her couch. Her body straddled his legs when he sat.

She raises her head from his chest and takes a good look at his face. Finally, after a good minute of just studying his head, she speaks.

"Rick what did Klitschko do to you?"

"Kate, I can see that you didn't stay to the end of the fight or watched it on television am I right?"

"I couldn't do it, Rick. He was just pummeling you in the ring and I couldn't stay there and watch you get beat up that badly."

"I see. Well if you would have stayed until the end of the eleventh round you would have known that I Rick Castle am once again the heavyweight champion of the world!"

"What? Wait a second, I saw you hit the mat on the middle of the tenth. How is this possible?"

"That's when things turned around for me. You should have seen it, Kate, I was boxing the way the legends boxed. I couldn't believe it myself. I just kept thinking about the way the fight was going and I thought that if I could catch him off guard, I might be able to get the upper hand for once. I knew that he was favoring his left side so that's where I started to concentrate all of my punches. It was only a matter of time before he started feeling like he was close to going down and I capitalized on that. It was kind of sad in a way because he was trying so hard to stay on his feet."

"How did you end up winning?" Kate wanted to know.

"Kate we were respecting each other. It was like we didn't want the other to lose. I came out at the beginning of the eleventh and found a soft spot that he couldn't protect. He fell to the mat and was slow to get back up. But when he did, he was off. I mean from being down on the mat, it must have shaken him. I just built on that and it made me reinvigorated to the point that he could not keep up with the hits I was pounding into his body. He kept retreating back until I had him on the ropes. Then I just pounded on him. He went down to the mat once again got back up moved about two feet from where he was and then I just found a reserve of strength I never knew I had. I was able to get him in almost the same location where he fell to the mat but he kept standing against the ropes. It's like he lost all of his will to fight. He was trying to protect his head which left his body open to what I could throw at him. When he went to protect his midsection, I concentrated on his head throwing combination punches and jabs until he fell to the mat again. He got back up after a six-count and the ref checked to make sure he was okay. I faked throwing a jab, he ducked, and I hit him with an uppercut. He was stunned and then I threw everything I had left at him. I backed him into the corner and threw one last punch that connected and he almost went down again. That's when the referee called the fight with thirty-eight seconds left in the eleventh."

"Wow!"

"That's all you have to say? Wow? I beat him, Kate! I won back my title."

"I know Rick. And I'm so proud of you. But look at the price you paid. Your beautiful face has been beaten and I love your face." Kate says as she gently kisses his forehead above the butterfly sutures.

Rick tries to move to get more comfortable to accommodate his growing bulge and Kate picks up on it.

"Take me to bed, Rick. I have a feeling that we are just taking the first step in our relationship."

 _Our relationship_ he likes the sound of that. He gets up off the couch and held her tight to his body she melts into him easily.

"Kate, I told you about the fight, but you didn't tell me about your day," Rick asks her.

"I quit. I had enough and I just simply quit."

He stops halfway to her bedroom and asks,

"Kate, what did you exactly quit?"

"Oh yeah, I should have been more specific. I quit my job at the paper."

"What? Why? I thought you liked that job."

"Rick I was being used by both of my bosses. My current one and my old one. And on top of that, the owner had offered me some perks that seasoned writers don't get. But I asked myself if this was what I really wanted, and it wasn't. I had enough and quit."

"I retired from boxing. Klitschko was my last fight forever."

"I'm glad. Now we can really get to know each other a lot better." Kat said squeezing her legs together to get him to move towards her bedroom.

Rick started to move towards her bedroom and they spent the rest of the night getting to know each other a lot better.

~Fin~


End file.
